


when the sun shines we shine together

by danyard



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Like a good amount of pining, Neigbors AU, No Grimm but Faunus still exist, Pining, Some light angst (but mostly backstory related), University AU (somewhat)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-12-06
Packaged: 2021-02-12 17:27:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 24,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21480118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danyard/pseuds/danyard
Summary: Yang's pining, Blake's trying to return to normalcy, and Ruby and Weiss are just waiting to see how long it is before the two of them fall in love. Bumbleby Neighbors AU
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 16
Kudos: 197





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Do you have ever a strangely detailed daydream where you come out of it thinking, "That would be a decent AU for a fic"? That's pretty much how this fic came to be. I've got the plot for this one pretty planned out for the most part, so if people enjoy it then I'll keep writing it. This is the first time I've ever written an ongoing story, so please let me know what you think!  
Title from "Umbrella" by Rihanna

Yang is a goner from the moment she lays eyes on her. Of that she is sure.

She meets her on a sweltering summer day, the sun just coming up on the little apartment complex that she and Ruby call home but the temperature already much too high for Yang’s liking. The only reason she even goes outside at all that Saturday is the fact that she's already been rudely awakened from a quite enjoyable dream by the commotion coming from the other side of her wall; she can't fully remember what she had been dreaming about but she knew with quite a bit of certainty (and based on past experience) that it involved punching. Of course she’d get woken up early on the weekend she grumbles to herself. She and Ruby had stayed up into the early hours of the morning watching awful made-for-TV movies and eating far too many sugary sweets, so Yang’s plan for the morning had been to sleep in extra late and wake up…well she didn’t have a set time for that but she figured it would happen somewhere in the range of “eventually”. But as she turns to glance at her clock she realizes, with dawning horror, that it wasn’t even 8:00 yet! Whoever was creating the commotion clearly had no respect for the principles of a quality weekend sleep-in.

As Yang gets out of bed and makes herself semi-presentable, at least by her standards, the noises next door continue without pause, accompanied by a soft chatter of voices. Her mind finally puts two-and-two together and she realizes that her new neighbors must finally be moving in. A kind middle-aged couple had lived there before, always willing to dote on her and her sister and furnishing them with an inordinate supply of baked goods, but they had moved out almost a year ago to finally begin the process of their retirement. Their neighbor after that had been a strange fellow by the name of Torchwick, a tall imposing figure with bright red hair who never passed up the opportunity to belittle Ruby in some fashion if he ran into her, mocking her and calling her “Little Red” every time he’d run into her. His overall demeanor always screamed “shady” to Yang, in part because he dressed like no one she had ever seen before (seriously, who still wore bowler hats) and aided by the different sketchy friends (whom he called “associates”) who were always over at his apartment suspiciously late hours of the night. When he had ended up getting arrested a couple of weeks ago for a seriously absurd amount of petty theft, and his “associates” promptly cleaned out the apartment, Yang could breathe a sigh of relief. She supposes that she had become so used to the quiet next door that she had forgotten the fact that somebody else might actually want to live there. Considering the low qualities of its previous occupant, she hopes that the new inhabitants would be at least halfway decent people; at the very least she hopes they don't plan on committing any crimes (at least while she still lives next door).

Once she enters the main area of the apartment Yang notices that Ruby hasn’t emerged from her room yet and, based on the gentle snores she can hear when she presses her ear to the door, appears to still be fast asleep. And why not? Her room wasn’t on the other side of the apartment being moved into, and anyway this was the hour of the day that people were _supposed _to be sleeping. The more banging sounds Yang continues to hear the more she wonders what sort of people her new neighbors are that they felt the need to go through the grueling process of moving this early in the morning. They might not be criminals (Yang hopes, though she's not going to make that judgement final until she actual meets them), but they clearly had a death wish. She just hopes that this earlybird action is as much as they would be doing; Yang may not have minded getting up (once she was actually up, it should be noted) but she is certainly not a morning person, and is in no great hurry to become one any time soon.

With all these thoughts reverberating throughout her head Yang moves over to the counter to turn on her coffeemaker, grumbling the entire way about “dream-interrupters” and “noisy morning freaks of nature”. Once her coffee is finished and she’s had her requisite two cups (one to fully wake her up, one to provide the extra kick that made her oh so productive), she decides that she might as well go out and meet these new neighbors of hers. If they're interesting, or at least not too creepy, then she can introduce herself, get to know them as well as one could in a short period of time, and invite them over later to help them feel more welcome in their new environment. If not…well then she and Ruby would unfortunately be 0 for 2 on their last two next-door neighbors.

Stepping out into the sunlight, her first glimpse of her new neighbors is a tall, precariously stacked arrangement of moving boxes, crowding around the front of the apartment door and clearly being added to given the car full of even more boxes that she sees in the parking spot next to Bumblebee (her beautiful motorcycle). Her next glimpse, though, is _her_.

Although she'll never admit it out loud (at least not while sober) Yang knew that there may be some truth to the claim all her friends make that she is, well, a functioning gay disaster. Sure she'll always argue this fact vehemently when it gets brought up, bringing forth the right amount of denial and righteous indignation to eventually end the teasing, but deep down she knows that there's a kernel of truth to the claims. If Yang had to state one, occasionally debilitating weakness, it is without a doubt pretty girls, and she feels that calling the girl carrying boxes in front of her “pretty” is easily the understatement of the century.

The first thought that jumps into Yang's mind upon seeing her is that the girl in front of her looks completely ethereal, long dark hair flowing behind her as she zigs and zags towards her door with a plethora of boxes in her arms.

The second thought that jumps into Yang's mind upon seeing her is that this girl is really, _really _hot. She knows that this thought makes her sound like every other fuckboy whose ass she always wants to (and occasionally does) kick for ogling her anytime she goes out for drinks, but it's really the sheer truth of it. The beauty (_your new neighbor, who you literally know nothing about_ her brain helpfully reminds her) is dressed in a white tanktop and black leggings, accentuating her slim (but, based on the tightness of the outfit, still impressively fit) body. From a sheer hotness standpoint it's an outfit combination that's already testing Yang’s impulse control when it came to trying not to stare, which she knew she's already failed considering that the person in question has stared to turn around and ends up looking directly at her. Yang also notices that she has a black bow centered right at the top of her head, and as the girl finally turns fully around she catches a striking glimpse of yellow in her eyes. She gives the girl an awkward smile as she walks towards her, running her mind through every possible way she could start a conversation off on the perfect foot.

“Hi I’m your next door neighbor, nice to meet you.” No, too boring.

“I think your bow is really cute.” No, too flirty considering that she probably saw you staring at her (though the bow was in fact quite cute).

“You look like an absolute goddess and I don’t quite know how to deal with that fact, so no matter what I say to you it’s going to be awkward and probably quite a bit gay.” Well it _was_ completely honest, but she figures that blurting out that one would definitely not end too well, though she would at least give the stranger a quality story to tell of the time she met her creepy-ass neighbor. She wonders what the record would be for one neighbor getting a restraining order on another, and figures if she led with that statement she may be able to set a new one in that category. All too soon she realizes that her walk was very quickly ending and, not having anything immediate to say and honestly running out of time to say anything remotely sane at this point, she just awkwardly sputters:

“To defenestrate someone means to throw them out of a window!”

Her neighbor, who has been eyeing Yang warily throughout her entire internal monologue of a walkup, widens her eyes dramatically and seems well and truly stunned, before finally letting out a slight giggle and losing a bit of the tension in her shoulders. “I don’t know if I want to know why you know that, but I’m too curious not to ask. Why?” the girl asks, seeming much more relaxed. Yang immediately notices that her voice is deliciously sweet, containing just enough hint of a husk to send a thrill straight down her spine. (As if she wasn’t enough of a mess already; she knows literally nothing about this stranger and she's already prepared to give her the world if she'll only be kind enough to let her. Pretty girls were the worst.)

“My dad likes to lump in some random stuff whenever he gives Christmas gifts, and my random gift last year was a Word-a-Day calendar,” Yang explains. “I thought it was kind of stupid at first to be completely honest but I actually found myself reading it after a while. It turns out it’s pretty fun to learn random words that you can just remember at will and confuse people with by saying those words out of context.”

The girl laughs again, mirth in her eyes as a soft smile finally emerges. “And you thought it was the perfect way to introduce yourself because…?”

She has Yang on that one. Why _had _she led with that statement? Maybe it was because she was flustered and the first thing that popped into her mind was the calendar entry that she had so thoroughly enjoyed using since she read it a few weeks ago. Maybe the cause of that flustering was the fact that she was terrible at introducing herself when it came members of the same sex that she found extremely attractive. But she can't exactly lead with that embarrassing little detail, so Yang simply smiles, cheeks a bit flushed, and tells her “Don’t you like to introduce yourself by telling an interesting fact? First impressions _are_ quite important you know.”

“Well you’ve certainly given me an interesting one, uh…”

“Yang!” she exclaims, before catching herself and (calmly) stating “my name is Yang. My sister and I live in the apartment next door, and after I had been hearing all the noises you guys were making for a while I figured I might as well come out and see what the party is all about. And you are?”

The stranger’s cheeks begin to blush slightly, tiny figments of light pink settling delicately on her cheeks. “Blake,” she says softly. “I apologize for raising such a racket this early in the morning but my roommate unfortunately likes to get up early, and she was insistent that we move in as quickly as possible.”

_Blake_. She can't recall meeting too many individuals with the same name, and she knows for sure she’s never met anyone who was female and goes by it, but the name definitely fits the being in front of her. She's elegant and refined, while also containing an air of mystery around her that Yang is simply dying to start to figure out. That would have to be later she realizes, as she very quickly becomes aware that if she didn’t answer soon she'll just be staring at Blake again.

“It’s nice to meet you Blake! And don’t worry about the noise! You may have woken me up but my sister is a pretty heavy sleeper, and I don’t mind getting the opportunity to take advantage of all the extra hours in the day. Besides, I may not be as much of a morning person as your roommate but who doesn’t watching the sun come up on a day like today?” She's only half-lying: the morning sun emerging with a chorus of pinks and oranges is certainly beautiful but it has nothing on Blake.

Oh yeah, Yang is definitely screwed.

Blake turns to look at the sunrise, giving Yang the chance to stare at her profile and _wow _this day has been so gay already. So gay and it isn't even 8:00 yet. (Or maybe it is. Yang has no idea how long she’s been staring at Blake for, and she's pretty sure she’s only been outside for a few minutes, but by this point it feels like it's been eons.) By this time Blake's facing her again, and she's opening her mouth to speak when:

“Blake Belladonna! I know you want to socialize and meet our new neighbors but there are still an inordinate amount of boxes left in the car and I refuse to take them in all on my own!”

This lovely outburst comes from the direction of Blake’s apartment, and when Yang turns she discovers that she's suddenly face-to-face with who she perceives to be Blake’s roommate. She's shorter than both her and Blake, with long white hair pushed up in a ponytail and a mean-looking scar over her left eye. Normally Yang wouldn’t use “mean-looking” as a way to describe somebody she hasn’t even talked to yet, but at this very moment she feel it's an apt description; she just has a feeling that this roommate is not someone she wants to cross.

Blake just heaves a dramatic sigh. “Weiss, I literally stopped for just a minute or two. Are you really telling me that a short break is going to interfere with us moving in?”

Weiss ponders this for a moment, and then shakes her head. “You’re right. I just got caught up in the general excitement of the moving process and felt that it some order needed to be restored where it was currently lacking.”

Yang raises an eyebrow. “Your cure for restoring order is to just yell at the person not working? That doesn’t seem like the most efficient plan.”

This causes Weiss to flush. “And who are _you _to judge my levels of efficiency?” she demands.

Blake heaves another sigh, and then moves to step in between the two in an attempt to end the squabbling as soon as possible. “Weiss this is Yang, she lives next door. Yang this is my roommate Weiss.”

Weiss still looks a little miffed in Yang’s opinion, but she swallows her pride and sticks out her hand. “A pleasure.”

Seeing that it would probably be stupid to continue an argument that never really should have started in the first place, Yang sticks out her own and gives it a hearty shake. “Nice to meet you.”

With this one nicety out of the way, Weiss turns back over to Blake. “As fun as this all is, we really do need to get back to work. We’ve still got plenty of boxes left to unload, and then after that we should begin putting things away.”

This to Yang is as clear confirmation as any that their conversation is about to come to an end. It's not necessarily a bad thing, at least from a rational standpoint. Blake and Weiss don't know her well enough so her offering to help them move might appear a bit strange, and Yang has plenty responsibilities of her own that she needs to get done as well. But the end of the conversation means the end of talking to Blake, and that's something that Yang is not looking forward to. She sheepishly puts her hand behind her head and tells them, “Yeah I should probably get going. I’m sure you’ll be busy for quite some time, but if you don’t mind I could come over tomorrow to get to know you a bit better?”

She feels a bit nervous being this brazen but, for maybe the first time ever, her awkwardness with a pretty girl is either blatantly ignored or maybe even tolerated. Blake gives her a smile, tucks an errant strand of hair behind her ear, and tells her “I’d like that.” Then she and Weiss make their way back to their car, Weiss grumbling about something that sounds to Yang as being about “improper closet measuring procedures.”

In the eloquent manner that only she knows how to do, Yang takes a deep breath and simply says:

“_Fuck_.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake deals with her feelings toward Yang, Yang comes over to visit, and Weiss tries to play matchmaker (with less than ideal results)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who read, commented, and left kudos on the first chapter! I'm a grad student so I don't know how consistent my uploading schedule will actually be, but I'll do my best to not make it too long of a wait between chapters.

Blake is not a morning person.

She knows that Weiss knows this, probably more so than almost anyone after the two of them living together the last few years, but her roommate is insistent at moving them in as soon as possible. “We’ve already got the keys, the car is fully loaded with boxes, and don’t you want the satisfaction of being done unloading with your day fully ahead of you?” she’d pleaded to Blake, face stern but a small pout emerging the longer Blake considered it. Blake honestly doesn’t really give a damn about any perceived satisfaction when it comes to their new apartment; she just wants to get as far away from their previous home, and some of the bad memories stored there, as soon as she can. But Weiss does have a point and that’s how Blake finds herself lugging boxes around, already beginning to sweat even though the sun hasn’t fully risen in the morning sky. Her expectations are not exceedingly high: she wants to get moved in with as little of a hassle as possible, and if she meets a few of her neighbors (and they’re not all total creeps) then it’s just a nice bonus. She goes in with low expectations, but everything gets shot to pieces when she meets the dynamic force that is Yang Xiao Long.

_Yang_. She honestly can’t say that she was prepared for her first encounter with the blonde, but considering the circumstances how could anyone? Right away she can tell Yang is staring, which isn’t too hard considering that her staring happens to be about as far from subtle as possible; she might as well grab a megaphone and shout “I AM STARING AT YOU RIGHT NOW. PLEASE PROCEED WITH YOUR DAY AS ORIGINALLY PLANNED.” But even though she normally loathes being leered at, something about Yang draws her in immediately. It might be her hair, long and wild, golden locks curling around the sides and at the very top of her head in a singular twist. If she’s being completely honest the muscles don’t hurt either: Yang’s clad only in pajamas clearly from the night before, her sleep shirt leaving her arms mostly bare and highlighting the well-defined muscles they contained. (These muscles are only the ones she can see visibly; Blake tries not to think too hard about what some of Yang’s _other _muscles might look like.) In short Yang is extremely attractive, someone who (had the circumstances been different) Blake can easily see herself going after.

But the circumstances aren’t different. The circumstances are heavy and overwhelming, continually placing her mind in a vise and tightening it harder and harder until she feels like she’s about to break completely. No matter how cute this stranger is Blake knows she should be cautious, and she’s honestly not worried about handling the situation poorly. And then Yang goes and opens her mouth.

She’s always been a mixed bag when it comes to predicting how first impressions will be when she meets someone new. Weiss she had squared up pretty quickly, a spoiled rich girl who, once you get past the initial walls, has as kind of a heart as anyone Blake’s ever met. On the other side of the equation you had Adam, who Blake had misjudged as poorly as one possibly could and had paid the price for that mistake. So she figures that a short conversation with Yang may be enough to get a read on her, giving her a chance to get a glimpse of the kind of person she is and allowing Blake to adjust her current level of nerves accordingly. But she’s not prepared for just how _strange _Yang’s first sentence to her is.

Blake’s never heard of the word _defenestration _before today, and she can’t honestly think of any time in the near future that knowing it could prove useful, but it’s enough of a shock to catch her off guard and allow her to loosen up a bit, giggling at the sheer absurdity of the start to the conversation.

The rest of their talk, as short as it ultimately is, flows easily after that. She catches Yang staring at her again after she had turned to peer at the sunrise briefly, but she found that this was beginning to bother her less and less (which should have set off warning bells immediately that she was very quickly moving into dangerous territory). She’s about to comment on how beautiful the sky is when she’s interrupted by Weiss nagging about her moving habits, which may have in fact been for the best; at the rate she seemed to be going she may have ended up calling Yang beautiful on accident instead, and no matter how true it is it’s not a path she’s ready to go down right now.

Of course she says yes when Yang asks if she can visit, though she’s glad it’s not until the next day: it’ll give Blake the chance to clear her head, regroup, and approach their interactions like a sane person again. She hopes that that’s the end of it and surprisingly Weiss doesn’t call her out on the way she had been acting. It’s not as if Weiss hadn’t seen the interaction (Blake knows for a fact that she heard at least the end of it), so Blake doesn’t know why she hasn’t brought it up yet. Her hope is that her roommate will just leave it alone and say nothing at all, but Blake knows that her life rarely works that smoothly in her favor.

They spend the rest of the day bringing the last of the boxes inside the apartment, followed by the tedious process of actually unpacking them. By the time nightfall comes around they’re roughly halfway done, sweaty and covered in the debris that had come from the packing material, but Blake feels a strange sense of satisfaction at how far they’ve come in such a short period of time. It may just be a crappy apartment that they chose primarily due to the fact that it’s only a short hike from there to campus, but it just has a feeling of _home _already that fills an empty spot in her soul that she hadn’t realized was empty to begin with.

Looking over at Weiss that homey feeling only increases, and she feels an overwhelming rush of affection for her friend. When Blake’s life had fallen completely into shambles Weiss had been there for her, coming down to Menagerie the moment Blake told her what had happened. Blake wouldn’t learn until later that Weiss had heard the news during a charity gala that her family had been hosting, and that her immediately rushing to leave it had been the last straw for Weiss’ father; Jacques Schnee, a man as stodgy and uptight as Blake has ever met, with all the cold exterior of a Schnee without the warmth and compassion that had existed in his daughter. Weiss’ desire to build a life for herself outside of the family business had put her on already shaky ground with her father, and she had told Blake before that she was almost certain that he expected her to eventually crack under the pressure and make her way back to the safety of home. But Weiss had stood her ground, and this last act of “rebellion” had been enough for him to finally put his foot down. He had given Weiss an ultimatum: either renounce what he called “foolishness” and return to work for the Schnee Corporation or be fully disinherited and left to her own devices. None of this Weiss had told her of course; all she had gotten was that her and her father had had a disagreement and that Weiss was now on her own. But Weiss’ sister Winter had visited shortly after, having been at the gala herself, and had told Blake that Weiss had not hesitated for a second when Jacques made his demand, grabbing a few mementos that she didn’t want to leave behind and making her way to Menagerie in almost record time.

This feeling promptly evaporates when Weiss finally asks her, “What’s going on between you and Yang?”

Blake’s thrown off by the immediacy of the question. She had hoped that since it hadn’t been brought up already that Weiss wasn’t going to make it an issue, but it seems that she’s just not that lucky today. “What do you mean “going on”? I talked to her for only a couple minutes.”

This argument is weak and they both know it. Blake’s not normally the quickest at warming up to strangers, especially recently, but somehow Yang had managed to penetrate those barriers almost immediately. She should have known Weiss would catch on to that. “Exactly,” Weiss tells her. “You just met her and you were already blushing and giggling like I’ve never seen you do before. It’s okay to be interested in someone like her, healthy even.”

“I’m not interested in her alright? She just caught me off guard a little bit, that’s all. Can we drop this?”

Weiss looks unconvinced, but she thankfully drops the subject (though Blake knows that this more than likely wouldn’t be the last time she heard about it). When Blake goes to sleep that night she feels secure in a way she hasn’t felt in months, darkness enveloping her and allowing her to dream of a world in which everything finally goes the way that it’s supposed to. And then, just like that, it’s the next day and Yang is suddenly in her apartment.

She comes around midday, by which point Blake and Weiss have finished putting away the majority of their possessions. She looks much more put together than the Yang she met yesterday, tank top accentuating those biceps and a pair of aviators nestled above her eyes, and she has a sense of swagger that hadn’t been there before. Blake can quickly tell that this is more of the normal Yang than she had seen yesterday, a being with an inordinate amount of charm, energy, and terrible, terrible puns. (Like seriously, Weiss makes a comment about how she banged her hand on their kitchen table earlier and Yang immediately is there with a quip about how she hates when she “Yang’s her hands” on things like that. This produces a chorus of groans from her and Weiss, but she is strangely endeared at the same time.) This Yang is fascinating, as bright and resplendent as the sun. She’s also _dangerous_.

Blake enjoys learning more about Yang: that she works at a nearby gym as a personal training and fighting instructor (which causes her traitorous brain to picture Yang in a sports bra, sweaty and grappling her, a thought that is _not _needed right now thank you very much), that her younger sister Ruby is attending Beacon University like her and Weiss, and that she once ate seven extra-spicy jalapeños on a dare from her father. “He didn’t think I’d actually go through with it,” she explained, “and the look on his face when I did was priceless. Of course, my face then turned completely red and I threw up the majority of said jalapeños into the nearest garbage can, but the satisfaction was totally worth it.” Somehow even this story further endears her to Yang, even though she is admittedly disgusted by its conclusion.

Blake tells Yang more about herself and Weiss as well, like how they’re both finishing up their degrees at Beacon this year (Blake in Literature, Weiss in Business), that they’ve been roommates since their freshman year (thanks to the randomized system, the degree of chance required in it being one of the luckiest rolls the dice of her life have ever landed on), and that she had once convinced Weiss to send a glitterbomb letter to a douchebag who had cheated on her. She expects Weiss to go beet red at this admission of impropriety but Weiss just smirks, telling Yang that “disloyal people don’t deserve any restraint or niceties”. Yang grins, giving her a fist bump that Weiss tentatively bumps back (it wasn’t her usual method of approval), and Blake just enjoys the moment. It’s a nice feeling meeting new people who you connect with quickly she thinks, not having to deal with any tension or loaded questions.

And then Weiss goes and ruins it for her.

They’ve skirted around any relationship-based questions so far, Blake because she’s absolutely not prepared to deal with that right now and Yang for her own reasons, and that’s been okay. It gives her the chance to control that area of the conversation, and if it does eventually come up naturally from Yang then she can find an easy enough way to divert the question and move back to more neutral territory. But she should have known after the grilling yesterday that Weiss wasn’t going to let her inquisitiveness die completely, and Blake is immediately tense when Weiss asks, “So are you dating anyone right now Yang?”

If this had been the Yang Blake met yesterday she imagines that the response would have been awkward, with Yang stumbling over her sentences and blushing the entire time. But this Yang is one who has her self-confidence back, and she just gives Weiss a smirk and responds, “Why, are you looking? Because while I am into girls you’re not exactly my type.”

While Blake is certainly pleased to get verbal confirmation about what she had already figured out yesterday, she can see what’s about to happen before Weiss even opens her mouth. “Not your type huh? Well that’s no problem for me, but now I want to know. What is your type Yang?”

This seems to catch Yang a bit off guard, and she appears less confident than before. “Oh, uh, well I’ve always liked brunettes I guess, but I really don’t think I have a specific type fully in mind.” She almost plays this off, her tone betraying nothing, but she sneaks a quick glance at Blake the moment she says the word “brunettes” and this is very rapidly going downhill. Blake needs to stops this now, before Weiss pushes too far and ruins this friendship before it’s really even begun.

“Weiss,” she tries to start in a low tone, but before she can get anything else out Weiss is already questioning Yang again.

“Brunettes huh?” Weiss says, a not-so subtle hint of smug lacing the question. “Like Blake here? Because I saw you checking her out yesterday morning and I think-”

“Weiss!” Blake interrupts, voice raised higher than she had intended but hopefully conveying the tension she’s feeling right now. Weiss seems to finally realize that she’s gone too far, and when Blake finally looks back at Yang she can see that the blonde’s face has become completely red.

“I apologize,” Weiss finally says, breaking the uncomfortable silence. “I will admit that I had only the best of intentions there, but I also know that I pushed too far and I never meant to make either of you uncomfortable.”

Yang, whose face was still fairly flushed but was now down to a lighter shade of pink, tries to play it off. “Don’t worry about it, I’m sure we’ve all tried to play matchmaker at times we’re not supposed to. You’re just looking out for your friend.”

But Weiss just shakes her head. “No, I know when I’ve made a mistake, especially when it comes to Blake’s privacy. I’ll give you two a bit of space for the moment, but we can talk later?” She directs this last question at Blake, and Blake can tell that the apology is sincere. Weiss is a well-meaning person, just trying to do what she can to make Blake happy, and for once she had gone too far.

Blake nods, giving her a small “Okay” and clasping their hands together to let her know that the two of them are truly fine. Weiss gives her a small smile and heads back to her room, and then it’s just her and Yang.

“Listen, I really do think she meant well right there,” Yang tells her. “So don’t be too hard on her, at least on my behalf.”

Blake sighs, exhaustion seeping into her body as she thinks of the one subject she really had been hoping to avoid with Yang. “I know she means well, but relationships are the one area that I really don’t want to get into right now.”

Yang just gives her a sunny smile. “Then don’t worry about it! You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to. Besides, I know why Weiss was trying to set us up. I _am _quite a catch after all.”

This posturing, rather than seeming boorish or off-putting, instead causes Blake to laugh. She can see clearly that Yang is trying to relieve the tension that had so suddenly come down on them, and she is even more appreciative of the fact that the blonde was sensitive enough to give Blake full control of the amount of information she was ready to divulge. Maybe it’s that last fact that leads her to offer up, “I’ve got some…_baggage_ from the last relationship I was in.”

“It didn’t end well?” Yang asks.

Understatement of the century, Blake thinks. Instead she just says, “It was very complicated and there’s still some lingering trauma there, so I’m not really comfortable getting into to. Weiss knows this and is normally good about not bringing the topic up, but she clearly sees something in you that made her cross that line.” Of course what Yang didn’t know is that the trauma is less of a “lingering” type and more of the “so intense that it’s scarred her both physically and emotionally” type, and that the reason Weiss had been forward enough to try and set the two of them up was because she could tell that Yang was the first person to slip through the barriers Blake had put up after Adam. But telling her this would put the two of them back into “complicated” territory, so Blake feels like staying on the safe route for now is probably the best approach.

“Yeah, I understand baggage,” Yang says, and Blake can see from the sad smile that she wears and the way it’s reflected in her eyes that Yang has dealt with a fair share of trauma herself. This realization brings forth a strong desire to protect her, and Blake finds herself wanting to wrap Yang into a tight embrace and never let go.

This is why relationship talk is too far, Blake thinks. She’s only known Yang for a day and the initial feelings that have emerged are more powerful than anything she’s ever dealt with. If this is how she’s feeling now than she can’t even comprehend what it might feel like if she actually took the plunge and pursued her. She doesn’t know if she could pick herself up again after a fall like that; even now she’s still picking herself up from the last one.

Yang leaves not to long afterwards, heading back early to make dinner for her and her sister and promising Blake that she would bring her some homemade housewarming cookies as soon as she could. “I’m not really much of a chef,” she explains sheepishly, “but I make do make some mean chocolate-chip cookies.” Blake sits in a daze for a few moments, trying to fully comprehend the intensity of the last half hour or so, before finally getting up and heading over to Weiss’ room. She knocks on the door, and there is only a second of silence before she hears a muffled invitation to enter.

Considering that they’re still not fully unpacked yet one might suspect a certain degree of chaos or clutter, but Blake is not surprised that the room is as pristine as Weiss’ things normally are. The white-haired girl sits on her bed, an unopened magazine sitting on her lap, and when Blake is fully in the room she stands up and starts talking immediately.

“I know I said it already but please let me just express how deeply sorry I am. I was pushing the way I did because I saw how interested in Yang you were when you first met, and while you were talking it really seemed like you were clicking with someone on a level you hadn’t in a long time. I know that I went too far and I sincerely apologize, I won’t try and set you up with anyone again unless I have your express consent.”

This flurry of words is uttered in what Blake thinks may be a single breath, and she is both moved by the sincerity of the apology and impressed by the clear-cut diction of the speech itself. Rather than stretch out the forgiveness process she moves quickly to pull Weiss into a hug, Weiss standing frozen in shock for a brief moment before she puts her arms around Blake and hugs her back fiercely.

“I know you meant well,” Blake mumbles into her shoulder. “I’m just not there yet.”

“I know,” Weiss replies. “And when you finally are I’ll be right by your side, supporting you in whatever way you need.”

When she’s finally ready. Blake doesn’t know when such a time will actually come about. She had hoped briefly when she first met Yang that she might be at a point where she could at least simply think about the idea of being with someone without flinching reflexively every time. She knows she’s not ready to trust someone that intimately yet, and as today has shown her it might be some time before she can even talk about it. But something about Yang makes her want to fight back against the trauma she’s been given, to see if she does have it in her to love again, at least in some sense. Even if it’s only at the level of friendship she wants to know Yang better, to get caught up in the tempest that is the blonde’s electric personality.

Yang makes her to want to put more of an effort into reclaiming the person she once was, the person that she knows is still within her, buried for the moment but busting at the seams to be free once more. Yang makes her want to simply _try_, and Blake feels that the time to do that is now.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake and Weiss come to visit, Blake reveals a secret, and Yang continues to be a complete disaster around Blake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who continues to read this story, it means a lot to me that you're even interested in it in the first place. Thank you especially to those of who you have left comments so far, whether it's about something specific or just saying you liked the chapter; it's a nice way to get some feedback about how you all feel.

Yang sucks at baking cookies.

She’d had the bright idea of baking Blake and Weiss some chocolate-chip cookies as a nice, “welcome to the neighborhood” type thing to do, but she had forgotten the very minor fact that _she’s not actually that good when it comes to cooking_. Sure she’s got a few recipes under her belt that she’s fairly solid at: just ask Ruby about the strawberry and banana Yang-cakes ™ she makes for breakfast every Sunday morning. (If you did ask Ruby she would tell you that the pancakes themselves are delicious and that the name is terrible. Yang would tell you that the name is part of the bargain.) But there is a clear difference between being able to make a few sweets fairly decently and having any sort of actual skill at baking batches of cookies, something that is undeniably obvious to her after she burns three separate batches in the span of just under two hours. She’s not even sure how she burned the final batch: she’d followed the recipe to the letter, had set the oven to the correct temperature, and had removed the cookies exactly the moment that the timer went off. It didn’t matter; they still somehow emerged as charred, flaming bits of rock instead of the gooey delicacies they were supposed to be.

In the end Yang just gives up, going to the closest supermarket to their apartment and buying a couple packages of fresh cookies from the bakery within the store. She feels like it would be wrong to pass these off as her own creations (considering the level of failure that she had reached earlier), but she still crosses out the name of the bakery and writes “Yang-Brand” over it; she doesn’t think her new neighbors will fully appreciate the genius of the pun, but really it’s the principle of the thing.

She waits a couple of days to deliver the cookies, hoping that whatever tension that had sprung up between Blake and Weiss has died down at least a little. As it turns out she had nothing to worry about: when she visits their apartment the two are completely amicable, making jokes and being kind enough to not reference the fact that the cookies she’s “made” are very clearly store-bought. (Yang’s glad for this, because she really didn’t want to get into detail about just how many batches of cookies she had failed to make; it’s not a good way to impress people you’re trying to be friends with.) Everything is all well and good, until Blake drops a bombshell and asks if she can visit Yang and Ruby’s apartment.

“It’s only fair,” Blake tells her. “You’ve been here twice now and we haven’t even gotten to see yours once.” And, because she’s already finding that she just doesn’t know how to say no to Blake, Yang immediately accepts. Which is a problem, because this is going to mean that Blake will be in her apartment. _Her _apartment. If it was both her and Weiss coming over it would be one thing, just a friendly conversation between some friendly neighbors with lots of friendly friendliness all around and no worries of stupid unrequited feelings coming out (Yang realizes by this point that her brain may have actually short-circuited for a short period there). But Yang and Blake alone is a whole other thing entirely. She’d meant every word she had said when she’d told Blake that she understood her veiled references to baggage (all too well, she thinks somberly), and she has no intention of making a move on the dark-haired girl with these factors in mind. Yang’s problem is that she’s worried that the longer the two of them spend by themselves, the higher the chances will be for her to do something mind-bogglingly stupid (or gay, or both) and ruin this friendship before it’s even begun. So she hedges: she tells Blake that she’ll need a few days to make the apartment look presentable before Blake can visit (which is mostly true; she and Ruby bring a certain chaos to wherever they live). With the extra time she’s gained with this delaying tactic, Yang works hard to ensure that Ruby just happens to be already in the apartment whenever Blake ends up coming over, just so she’s got a barrier between her and potential awkwardness.

It’s not a hard sell to convince Ruby to help her out. It’s actually not much of a sell at all really. As much as they’ll jostle or tease each other they’ve always been fiercely protective of one another, and when one sister is in need of some serious help the other is always ready to step up when required. Plus, Ruby is excited to finally get the chance to meet Blake (“our mysterious new neighbor who so quickly captured your heart” Ruby had gushed, evidently spending too much time watching romances on TV instead of actually preparing for her upcoming semester) so there’s an added benefit to the whole thing. So, when Blake comes over a few days later, Yang feels like she’s ready (somewhat) to handle whatever life is about to throw at her.

Blake shows up early in the afternoon, looking fresh and a tad bit nervous about being in this new environment. Yang feels like she’s starting to gain more and more control of herself every successive time she’s talked to Blake and works at being a calm and charitable hostess. Ruby has no such compunctions: when Blake enters their apartment Ruby begins to vibrate up and down with an almost manic energy, and when she gets the chance to actually start talking to Blake she speaks just as fast, her words moving at a rapid-fire pace that seems to catch Blake a bit off guard.

Not surprisingly, one of Blake’s first comments has to do with them being sisters. Yang’s used to it by this point; although the family resemblance is easy enough to spot in their features and mannerisms, Yang looks so much like their dad and Ruby so much like her mom (which makes the two as a result look just a tad dissimilar at first glance) that they’ve heard it all before. But Blake doesn’t phrase it in a mean-spirited way, and why would she? All she comments on is the fact that “you two look so different from each other that your parents must be the exact same way.”

Yang’s used to this being brought up, has been asked questions about it so many times over the years that she has a worn-out line she likes to use to respond (“we’re like twins, if you ignore all the ways in which we’re not”), but Blake’s question slips past her defenses before she can properly muster them up. She thinks back to the week before, of the sorrow in Blake’s eyes when she had tried to explain how her “baggage” was weighing her down, and she’s yet again reminded that she understands all too well what it’s like to have the past be less of a distant memory and more of a haunting reminder of what might have been. Blake had said that her baggage had been as a result of relationships. For Yang, this baggage exists in the form of her parents. Well, _parent_.

Luckily for her, Ruby is quick on the uptake and is happy to answer the question for the both of them. “Well we share the same dad, but we actually had two different moms.”

Blake accepts this easily enough, and then keys in on a crucial phrasing that Ruby had used. “Wait, you said _had _two different moms. What happened to the two of them?”

Ruby answers for them again, though it’s a bit slower this time and more stilted, as it usually is when this topic comes up in conversation. “My mom passed away when I was just a baby, so I don’t really know too much about her except for what I’ve been told.” Her mother had been away on a trip for something involving her line of work, driving in a heavy rain when a drunk driver ran a red light and hit her vehicle head on. Yang had been pretty little at the time herself, but she had still loved Summer Rose just as much as she has ever loved anyone else, and she knows that the trauma from that incident has helped to fuel some of the deeper-seated issues that she should probably talk to a therapist about at some point. “Yang’s mom…” Ruby trails off, unsure of how to finish the sentence while also respecting her sister’s privacy at the same time.

Yang interjects before the silence can become too awkward, flashing Blake a somewhat crooked smile. “It’s uh, complicated, you know? There’s a bit of baggage there.” Blake gets the meaning of what she’s going for right away, and is kind enough to divert the conversation immediately, asking Ruby some questions about her studies at the university. From there the conversation flows easily, Blake obviously becoming endeared with Ruby after just a short time of knowing her (like virtually everyone Yang has ever met, unless you’re an asshole like Torchwick) and Ruby asking Blake question after question about every interesting and inane thing she can think of when it pops into her head. Yang is content to mostly watch this play out, chiming in with a question or response when needed but happy to mostly stay on the sidelines for now.

A knock on the door finally causes her to get up, and when Yang opens it she comes face to face with a very grumpy looking Weiss. Blake had mentioned early on that Weiss was in the middle of a phone call with her sister about family matters, and based on the level of annoyance that is written plainly across her face Yang knows that she should probably tread lightly.

Ruby, however, has no such desire, darting from her seat to the door (she can move uncannily fast when she wants to, though Yang’s not sure where she actually finds the speed half the time) and planting herself firmly next to Yang. “You must be Weiss! It’s so nice to finally meet you!”

Weiss, who is very clearly not prepared for the all-out level of cheerfulness that is Hurricane Ruby, is rendered speechless for a few seconds before regaining her composure and replying with a simple, “And you must be Ruby. Hello.”

If Ruby was any other person she may have felt jilted over the brusque introduction, especially considering how intense by comparison her own had been, but she takes it all in stride, continuing the inquisitive question free-for-all that she had started with Blake. Weiss to her credit handles this fairly well, answering where she feels comfortable and even asking Ruby a few questions of her own; that’s just the effect Ruby has on people. But Yang is admittedly surprised that Weiss accepts Ruby’s invitation to play one of her new video games (“it’s called Grimm: Eclipse, and you’re this huntress, and you have to kill all of these terrifying monsters, and…”), and even more so when Weiss gets really into the game, button-mashing and yelling at the screen with the same amount of fervor that Ruby and Yang have when they play it.

“Her call with Winter must not have gone very well,” Blake comments when Yang sits back down across from her. “At least this is a healthy way to get out her pent-up aggression. Last time she spent the entire rest of the day cleaning our dorm until it smelled like a chemical spill had occurred there. I couldn’t breathe properly for days.”

“I’m just surprised that they’re getting along that well at all,” Yang admits. “I figured they’d be on at least speaking terms after a while, but I was not expecting that level of adjustment to happen so quickly.”

Blake lets out a small smile at that, fiddling with the black bow on her head that Yang has seen her wear every time they’ve met so far. “Weiss likes to pretend that she’s some kind of frigid, implacable ice queen, but she’s really just a big softie at heart.”

“Hey!” Weiss protests from the other side of the room. “I am calm, cool, and collected, and definitely not a ‘softie’”. Her protests lose some of their initial effect when she dies immediately after in the game, letting out a loud “NO!” that sounds more like a wail than a scream.

Yang lets out a laugh at this and turns back to Blake. “This is kind of random but you must really like that bow you’ve got on, right? I think you’ve had it on every time we’ve hung out.” She had just meant the question as a space filler, as she doesn’t really have a clear path of conversation to follow at the moment and she doesn’t want to create an awkward silence (where she’ll probably just end up staring at Blake like a creep the entire time), but it causes Blake to tense up as if Yang has asked something deeply personal. Yang can see in Blake’s eyes that whatever this is about is immensely serious to Blake, and it is with a deep breath that Blake answers her.

“I figured this would come up eventually, so I might as well be up front with you about it.” Blake says this with a sense of tired resignation in her voice, and then goes to remove the bow. Yang’s not really sure what she’s expecting to see when Blake takes the bow off (maybe a bald spot, or an overly large bump protruding from the top), but she admits that she’s not expecting to see a pair of black cat ears wiggling about. Blake’s looking at her with a hint of apprehension, and Yang can fully understand why: although Faunus are typically more accepted in this area (due to the influence of the university) than in other places, Yang’s sure that it’s still easier for Blake to hide this fact and therefore not have to deal with all of the anti-Faunus douchebags that still remain cluttered throughout the region.

Yang can tell that how she responds to this revelation will be crucial for her and Blake’s developing friendship, so she gives Blake her most stunning smile and tells her, “Thank you for showing me this, but you didn’t have to, you know? I understand why you would keep this a secret, and it wouldn’t have bothered me if you had kept it from me for some time.” And she’s being honest when she says that; Yang of all people knows what it’s like to keep one’s secrets close to the vest as a method of self-preservation. She thinks this a good way to react to the reveal, but Blake just seems confused after her words.

“That’s it? That’s all you have to say?” There’s a hint of soft puzzlement to Blake’s voice, and it breaks Yang’s heart when she figures out why it’s there.

“Of course it’s okay!” Yang tells her. “You may be the first Faunus I’ve ever met but that doesn’t mean I’m going to treat you different from how I’d treat anyone else. You’re a person, plain and simple; you’ve just got a few different parts that the rest of us may not share.”

This statement brings tears to Blake’s eyes, and Yang worries that she’s gone too far and screwed things up until Blake gives her a delicate smile and squeezes her hand appreciatively. “Thank you,” Blake whispers, and Yang just gives her a nod and squeezes her hand back.

The rest of the afternoon is far less tense and loaded then the earlier parts had been, and Yang feels sad when Blake and Weiss decide that it’s finally time for them to return to their apartment. Ruby gives Weiss a big, bonecrushing hug before they leave and Weiss, to her credit, flinches only a little before leaning in and reciprocating. Yang should probably let Blake leave in peace and then thank the heavens that she managed to make it through yet another meeting without being a complete disaster, but her mouth’s moving before her brain is fully caught up.

“So every month my friends and I go out to a local bar and sing in their “Karaoke Night”. None of us are actually good singers, but it’s an excuse to have a few drinks and let loose, and the next one’s in a few weeks, so I wondered if you wanted to go with me?” Yang realizes this may sound like flirting and immediately panics, adding, “not like “with me” with me, not, you know, as a date or anything, just a chance to meet some new people and have fun?” She’s not really sure why she phrased that last part as a question, and the rest of the sentence just kind of trails off at the end. So much not being a total disaster.

Blake seems thoughtful after Yang has finished her garbled mess of an invitation. Yang would completely understand if she said no: meeting any group of preexisting friends (especially her loveable, hardcore obnoxious friends) can be a cause of anxiety, plus (as Yang will have to remember) Blake will actually be starting school by that point. But after thinking it through for a few seconds Blake’s resolve seems to steel, and she gives Yang a firm nod. “That sounds like a lot of fun. You’ll just have to tell me when and where.”

And right, that _is _something that people generally want to know when it comes to going to a place they’ve never gone before. Yang’s brain is just flooded with gay by this point, and rather than telling Blake that she’ll get her the information when the time comes she blurts out, “Just give me your phone number! That way I can, uh, text you and stuff.”

Blake raises one eyebrow at that (and _damn _that shouldn’t be as hot as it is), and Yang’s worried that she’s screwed up for real this time, but Blake lets out an undignified snort and holds out her hand. When Yang stares at her confusedly Blake snorts again, finally saying, “I can’t give you my number if I don’t have your phone.” Which yes. That is a good point. Yang should do that.

So she gives Blake her phone, watching as Blake takes her time creating a new contact. Finally Blake hands Yang the phone back, gives her a soft “goodbye”, and heads to the door to leave with Weiss. Yang gives her a soft response back, watching her leave and then collapsing into the chair beneath her and heaving a dramatic sigh to end all other sighs. Out of the corner of her eye she sees Ruby staring at her inquisitively, head tilted to the side like she does when she’s thinking especially deep about something.

“Blake and Weiss are really cool, you know?” Ruby starts, and Yang just gives her a hum of approval, her voice muffled by the fact that her face is now currently sitting in her hands. “You gonna ask Blake out?” And that’s right: Yang hadn’t told Ruby any of the specifics about her earlier visit with their new neighbors, so she still thinks Yang might actually stand a chance.

“She’s not interested in dating,” Yang supplies. “She clearly had a bad experience with the last person she was with and it seems like she’s not in a hurry to deal with that again.” Ruby thinks this through for a second, nods, and then speaks a sentence that immediately pierces its way straight into Yang’s soul.

“Yeah, I understand that. It’s gonna be a real shame once you fall in love with her.”

Yang rockets up straight in her seat, her face burning as tells Ruby, “Whoa whoa, who said anything about love? It’s just a crush, that’s all. I’m gonna be just fine, alright. Fiiiiine.” Ruby gives her a look filled with extreme doubt and just turns around to return to her video games again, clearly not buying into Yang’s extremely well-crafted rebuttal to Ruby’s ridiculous claim.

Yang may be a gay disaster most of the time (if she’s honest she doesn’t want to know the overall percentage), but she’s not gonna go and fall in love with someone who has no intentions of even being in a relationship anytime soon. She’s got more self-control than that, right?

_Right_?


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake meets Yang's friends and deals with a visit from the green-eyed monster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't expecting this chapter to be as long as some of the other ones and the next thing I knew it was at almost 4600 words. Writing is strange that way

Blake is in way over her head when it comes to Yang.

She tries to maintain a decent level of space when it comes to the idea of romance with the blonde: Yang may be (incredibly) attractive, funny, sincere, and just flat out kind, but Blake is aware of the pitfalls that one can run into when it comes to dating. These pitfalls had led to her life basically unraveling for a short period of time this past spring, and while Blake knows that this is more the fault of Adam than the concept of dating itself, her self-preservation instincts kicked in wildly the moment she had felt that “something” when she first saw Yang. Getting close to another person at the level one does in an intimate relationship is terrifying; the further one gets the more they reveal all of the small, important, fiercely-protected but immensely vulnerable spots that exist within their body. Giving another person that amount of power is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly, especially when they turn around and then proceed to use that power to hurt you any way they can. Blake knows this, knows the risks especially well from her own past experiences, and yet there’s something about Yang that keeps drawing her closer and making her feel less and less of that fear.

Blake’s knows she’s still not ready for a relationship. For one, school has finally started again, bringing with it the time and monetary investments that are classes, textbooks, and lots and lots of papers that need to be completed at late hours of the night (the joys, she thinks, of majoring in a subject as writing-intensive as Literature). Plus, her awareness that Yang is nothing like Adam doesn’t mean that she’s going to just dive headfirst into dating again; she’s prepared to take her time, get to know the blonde better, and (if she feels ready) take the leap.

But Blake had envisioned this as a slow, gradual process. You know, sharing basic, introductory facts about each other (“what’s your favorite color?” and “what’s your go-to comfort food”) instead of vague allusions to the type of emotionally compromising baggage that’s the reason you’re so fucked up and nervous most of the time. She had gotten Yang’s phone number, and the non-stop texting the two of them have been doing for the last few weeks had helpfully compensated for the fact that Blake’s schoolwork and Yang’s job have prevented them from being able to hang out as much as they might want. The problem is that to get this phone number Blake had had to agree to meet with a bunch of Yang’s friends, and this is partly where her worries of being in over her head start.

She shouldn’t be as nervous as she is (they’re not even dating yet, she has to remind her stupid, traitorous brain), and based on the tidbits of information that Yang has provided her Blake is sure that she’ll get along with them fairly well. But meeting new people has always made Blake nervous (_except for Yang_, her still stupid and ultimately correct brain reminds her), and trying to slot into a pre-existing group by herself is an extra level of anxiety.

Normally she wouldn’t be in this sort of situation by herself, as Weiss is typically more than happy to tail along and provide a buffer for whatever potentially troublesome situation they somehow get themselves into (it’s amazing what having the last name Schnee can do for you, even if you are in fact technically disinherited). But Weiss had reacted to the mere mention of karaoke night as if Blake had asked her to murder a small child (maybe the two were equivalent in the complicated mind of Weiss), and she ends up staying back at their apartment to do something else with Ruby instead. (The continually growing friendship between Weiss and Ruby is something that both perplexes and warms Blake’s heart simultaneously. She had thought that their video game-based bonding had been a one-time thing, until she had walked into their apartment a few days later to find Ruby braiding Weiss’ hair, chattering along the entire time about nothing while Weiss had just sat there with her eyes closed and a content smile on her face. Yang doesn’t understand it either, but at this point they’ve both decided to just go with the flow and not ruin a good thing.) So, she’s on her own.

But she can handle this. She’s Blake fucking Belladonna (as Sun likes to helpfully remind her every time he sees her) and she can deal with a night of karaoke with her sort-of crush and said crush’s friends. She’s just gotta play it cool, that’s all. She’s got this.

Blake plays it cool for roughly four minutes and thirteen seconds, when a knock on her door reveals a Yang who is dressed in a faded brown leather jacket. And oh no, this is already starting off poorly.

Well, poorly might not be the best choice of words for this new situation Blake has suddenly found herself placed in. “Poorly” definitely doesn’t describe Yang, who is checking all the boxes in Blake’s mind of a type Blake didn’t even know she had (though that type might also just be Yang in general by this point). The jacket is a perfect fit, clinging to Yang tightly while simultaneously not appearing to be too restricting, and the aviators that she occasionally wears on top of her head are now planted in their regular, assigned position. Not for too long, though, as Yang soon leans them down, giving Blake a quick look over and then asking, “Are you sure that’s the right outfit to wear for riding on the back of a motorcycle?”

And right, that _was _how they were planning on getting there wasn’t it? She’s heard Yang reference her bike enough times by now (Bumblebee she calls it, referring to it as one might refer to a child they’re especially proud of) that she probably should have figured out that it would be their mode of transportation tonight. Normally this might not be an issue, but Blake had dressed to impress tonight, and while she’s never ridden a motorcycle before she figures that the loose top she’s wearing might not protect her much from the wind. Sheepishly she tells Yang, “I’ll be honest, I hadn’t even considered the fact that we’d be taking Bumblebee there. I’m sure I look a bit ridiculous.”

Yang actually flushes a little when Blake tells her this, and putting one hand behind her head (acting almost as sheepish as Blake) she replies, “No, uh, you look good. Like really good, you know? Definitely way too good for the kind of bar we’re going to tonight, but hey maybe you can help class the joint up a bit. You still should probably wear a jacket though.”

Blake thinks it over for a second. “Yeah, I’m sure I can find one, just give me a few minutes to run inside and-”

Before she can even finish this sentence Yang is already shaking her head no. “No way, you can just wear mine.” And before Blake can even lodge a protest (though she doesn’t even know if she really wants to) Yang has taken the jacket off and placed it tenderly around Blake’s shoulders.

If Yang had been a bit flushed before in regards to Blake’s appearance earlier, her face is an even darker shade of crimson now, something that Blake knows is matched by a similarly bright heat she can feel reflected on her own face. Her hands are still placed on Blake’s shoulders and Blake quickly realizes that this is another area that Yang has managed to break through her walls without either of them even really noticing it. After Adam touch had become something that could unsettle her at a moment’s notice, with most of her friends and family being hesitant to do so in the first place out of a fear of upsetting her. Blake knows this isn’t too extreme, knows that that sort of fear is reasonable from someone who has dealt with the trauma of an abusive partner, but at the same time she hates how small this fear makes her feel. Touch has the potential throw her off, to even trigger a potentially terrible reaction like a panic attack in a purely worst case scenario, but it’s also something that she needs to learn to accept again; after all, Blake doesn’t plan on living a life where everyone close to her is afraid to so much as touch for fear that she may become undone. But Yang is different. Yang may not know about that part of her past but Blake feels like even if she did it wouldn’t change the way she acts towards her. Yang treats her like she’s someone who deserves to be treated with tenderness, but she also doesn’t treat her like she’s breakable, and that means so much more to Blake than Yang may ever fully realize.

Blake knows that she’s not ready to explain any of this to Yang just yet, and even if she was she probably wouldn’t do it on a night like tonight where worries weren’t meant to be had, so she just gives Yang a weak “thank you” instead and hopes that the blonde understands just how important the action was to her. She thanks Yang does, based on the warmth in her eyes, and she shrugs off Blake’s question of if _she _might need a jacket by telling her that, “jackets should be the ones who need _me_” (which doesn’t make any sense whatsoever but still makes Blake giggle anyway) and giving a (much-appreciated) flex of her bicep. The awkwardness lifts just a little, and Blake feels centered again.

And then she remembers that she’s going to be riding on a motorcycle. More specifically, she realizes that she’s going to be pressed tightly behind Yang on said motorcycle while going at high speeds while the sun sets beautifully off in the distance. Blake’s going to have to work hard to play it cool here, so naturally the first thing she says is “Aren’t you worried it might be awkward with the two of us on their together?” Oh yeah, she thinks, totally cool.

Yang, fortunately for her, just laughs and tells her, “Just hold on tight and don’t let go, and I’ll do the rest of the hard work”, and then has the gall to actually wink at her. It shouldn’t be something that endears the blonde to Blake, but like so much else that Yang does it furthers that warm, fuzzy, _dangerous _feeling that always seems to strike when she’s with Yang (or thinks about her, or texts her, or…)

For all she stresses about sitting in such close proximity with Yang the ride to the bar ends up being far less hazardous than Blake was expecting. Their location is much closer to their apartments than she had actually realized, so the enjoyment that she gets out of hugging Yang fiercely (for stability purposes, of course) ends up lasting much shorter than anticipated As regretful as this might make Blake, she also knows that this is a good thing; the longer she stayed pressed up against Blake the higher the chance of her doing something especially reckless.

The bar they arrive at is a fairly unnoticeable one, looking like most of the hole-in-the-wall bars that one would expect to see littered throughout the edges of a university campus and located in between a pizzeria and what purports to be “Extra Discount Dry-Cleaning” (she doesn’t want to know what is removed from the regular dry-cleaning process that would make such a discount possible. Blake’s guess is heat.) A flickering neon sign above the door labels the bar as “CFVY’s”, which Yang explains (after Blake’s bewildered stare) is meant to be read as “Coffee’s) and is apparently based on the initials of the four who own and run the place. Upon entering Blake is almost overwhelmed by the amount of noise emitting throughout, partly due to the excitement of the numerous patrons scattered across the bar and mostly due to the over-excited karaoke that is currently being performed by a very-excited looking redhead. Once her song is finished (and she’s added a few fist pumps and air guitar smashes to accentuate the ending) said redhead spots them, running off the stage and pulling Yang into a fierce hug. That initial hug turns into a quick pout, however, and she tells Yang, “I’m glad you’re here and all but you just missed a pretty amazing performance right there. Those types of performances don’t come along every day you know.”

Yang just laughs and gives the redhead a light punch to the arm. “Of course Nora, how could I miss such artistic beauty? I’ll buy you your next drink to make up for what must have been such a tragic moment in your life.”

Nora thinks about this for a moment and then gives Yang a grin, returning the punch she was given with one of her own; considering the way Yang immediately grabs her arm in pain Blake can tell that Nora packs quite a punch. “Now that’s what I’m talking about!” She turns and finally sees Blake, and a hint of recognition appears in her eyes. “So this must be the famous Blake that we’ve all heard so much about. My name’s Nora, and based on what Yang’s told us about you I can just tell we’re going to be fast friends already.”

Blake’s not entirely sure what Yang might have told her friends about her, though based on the blush that quickly rises on her face Blake can’t imagine it’s too unflattering. She turns towards Nora with a hesitant smile and tells her, “I’m not sure if I’m famous at this point, but it’s nice to meet you. If Yang’s friends with you then I’m sure you must be a pretty good person to earn that trust, so I hope we can be friends too.”

This makes Yang blush even harder, and Nora’s grin only increases. “Oh I like you already. C’mon, everybody else is already here.” They follow Nora to the corner of the bar, where a large circular table is already occupied by three other inhabitants, each of who Blake is introduced to in turn (very enthusiastically) by Nora.

Pyrrha is kind of imposing at first, and Blake feels like she gives off the air of someone with gravitas, but Blake finds out quickly that she is especially kind and thoughtful, with an understated sense of humor that seems to go over most of the others head’s from time to time. Jaune is very eager and confident, almost like an overexcited puppy when he really gets going, though Blake can tell that there is a quiet sincerity to him that may not be especially obvious at first glance. (Blake can also tell that Pyrrha is pining for him and that Jaune is helpfully oblivious, but she knows that she’s among the least-qualified when it comes to giving anyone romantic advice at the moment.) Ren is very quiet, staying silent for most of the night and speaking very measuredly whenever he feels the need to chime in, but he is also exceedingly polite and it is clear that Nora absolutely adores him. (Blake’s not as sure of how to read the “something” between Ren and Nora, though based on watching Ren (and the fact that she learns they’ve been friends since childhood) she’s pretty sure that even if there’s not anything happening romantically now it will sooner rather than later.) Apparently inspired by the naming conventions of the bar Yang informs Blake that their little “squad” (Nora’s words) goes by the moniker of “Team JNPR” (pronounced juniper, and apparently the product of a few hours drunkenly spent brainstorming names that worked well with their initials).

All in all they make a very strange group, especially when you add the dynamic force that is Yang herself, but Blake finds herself warming up to them almost immediately. There’s a real sense of comradery she gets from them, and the fact that they’ve not only welcomed her immediately but seem to genuinely enjoy getting to know her (and her them) fills her with an overwhelming feeling of belonging.

After conversing for a while Blake is surprised that no one has gone up to the bar yet to order some drinks, and then as if on command a shadow looms over the table and she sees the bartender she had only briefly glimpsed when she first entered the bar. This bartender is an imposing figure, tall and lithe, dressed in very dark clothing and wearing the strange combination (at least considering that they’re indoors) of sunglasses and a beret. Her name tag reads “Coco”, and everything about her immediately screams “self-confidence”. Blake is unsure as to why she suddenly feels a striking sense of unease until Coco sidles up to Yang and puts an arm around her. “Why if it isn’t Yang Xiao Long in the flesh. How’s my favorite customer doing tonight?”

The proximity of the two of them makes Blake’s stomach curdle, as does Yang’s smile and accompanying response. “Coco. Darling. You should know by now that flirting with me doesn’t mean I’m going to buy more drinks or leave an extra generous tip.”

Coco puts on a look of pure, exaggerated fake shock. “Yang. Darling. What kind of person do you take me to be?”

“I think we all know the kind of person that you are,” Nora interjects, and the rest of the table lets out a hearty laugh at that. The rest of the table, that is, except for Blake, and while she thinks that she’s being inconspicuous she immediately finds herself under the intense scrutiny of Coco.

“Well, well, well,” the bartender says, tilting her glasses downward like Yang had earlier and giving Blake a curious stare. “Who have we here?”

Blake is briefly rendered speechless under her gaze and thankfully Yang, who seems to be unaware of the weirdness, steps in for her. “This is Blake. You know, the new friend of mine that I’ve told you about.”

Coco’s look goes from curious to understanding, and there’s a certain amount of _knowing _in her eyes that only makes Blake’s unease increase. “Well it’s an honor to meet someone Yang speaks so highly of. I’ve got to return to the bar after I take your orders, but we’ll have to talk later. I’m sure we’ve got plenty to talk about.”

Blake realizes that this is the second time that one of Yang’s friends has referenced Yang previously talking about her, but Yang’s reaction this time is the exact opposite from when they had met with Nora. Rather than blushing and just trying to play off the fact Yang goes completely rigid, not saying anything else while Coco takes drink orders until the bartender has walked away. And Blake can understand why. While she was already hesitant to believe that someone like Yang would really go for someone like her, the clear familiarity and spark between Yang and Coco solidified it. If the two weren’t already dating they would be soon, and Blake would continue to be just as alone as she always had been. And why shouldn’t Yang? She had never shown any real interest in Blake; Weiss had been the one trying to set the two of them up in the first place. They may have flirted a bit, but maybe that was just Yang’s default personality, and Blake would just have to live with it.

She ends up getting caught so deeply in this funk about Yang that she doesn’t realize that the blonde has finally regained her composure, and is now staring at Blake with a concerned look in her eyes. She feels a tap on her shoulder, and Yang softly asks her, “You okay? You kinda went silent there for a bit.”

Blake tries to tamp down the hollow feeling emerging in her chest and gives Yang a shaky smile. “Sorry, just zoned out there a little bit, didn’t mean to worry you.” She pauses, and then in perhaps the least subtle manner she’s ever attempted asks Yang, “So, you and Coco.”

Yang gives her a puzzled look. “Me and Coco what?”

Blake gives her an extremely fake laugh, something that she knows Yang can see through in a heartbeat. “C’mon Yang, it’s obvious that there’s something brewing between the two of you. I’m just trying to be a supportive friend.” Her voice shakes on these last words, and if Yang couldn’t see through her before Blake knows that she must be completely transparent now.

She thinks she’s made her point fairly clear, but Yang still seems to be confused as to Blake’s intentions. “Do you mean brewing like beer? Because I don’t really have much experience in that area.” And honestly, the fact that Yang is saying all of this so casually, as if the flirting between her and Coco isn’t currently constricting Blake’s heart into awful, twisted lumps, pushes Blake off an edge that she hadn’t even realized she was standing at the precipice of.

“I know what flirting looks like Yang, and you honestly can’t tell me that Coco is someone you wouldn’t be interested in. She’s tall, attractive, mysterious, and who even wears berets anymore? And the sunglasses? Indoors?” She had meant to say this all in a disconnected, calm tone of voice but the anxiety that she had apparently bottled up inside of her converts her speech into a quick, almost manic sort of energy.

Yang’s eyes widen, though a quick glance around the table seems to indicate that she’s the only one in their group who actually heard Blake’s little outburst. She stays silent for a minute, seemingly replaying what Blake had said and what might have triggered that sort of reaction, and Blake can see the moment that it finally clicks for Yang. “You think Coco and I should date?”

Blake has a lot of feelings on this particular subject (needless to say she’s not a fan of the concept), but instead she just sighs and tells her, “All I know is that you two have clear chemistry, and that’s something that you shouldn’t take for granted.” This excuse is pretty weak, and it definitely doesn’t explain to Yang the level of panic that Blake went into, but thankfully Yang doesn’t comment on it. In fact, she’s extremely casual when she tells Blake:

“I wouldn’t worry too much about Coco and I. She’s a catch, don’t get me wrong, and her default personality is “flirt”, but I feel like her girlfriend might be a bit miffed if I tried to make a move on her.”

The ground beneath Blake’s feet falls out and she feels incredibly embarrassed. “She’s got a girlfriend?” she weakly croaks.

Yang gives her a knowing look and tells her, “Yeah, Velvet’s one of the other co-owners of the bar. She’s actually talking to Coco right over there.”

Blake turns and sees Coco leaning over the bar and talking to a brown-haired rabbit Faunus, who is holding onto her arm and laughing at whatever comment Coco had just made. Coco sees her staring and gives her a curt nod, and after murmuring something to Velvet the Faunus gives her a very eager wave that Blake tentatively returns. Blake slides back around to face Yang, and she’s thankful that there is no confusion or meanness in the blonde’s eyes, only a sense of determination that she hadn’t seen before. “Guess I misread that situation.”

Yang laughs at that, and grab’s Blake’s hand. “Just a little bit, though I do appreciate your overeager attempts to play wingwoman for me there.” When Blake blushes at this (and more importantly at the feel of Yang’s hand in hers) Yang gives this hand a squeeze, and then continues, “You don’t need to worry though. If I’m ever interested in anyone like that, you’ll be the first to know.”

A statement like this should further disappoint Blake, due to the fact that it presupposes that there will be someone else Yang will no doubt be interested in, but Yang gives her such a pointed and knowing look full of a specific sort of intensity that Blake understands the undertones of the message clearly.

The rest of the night goes much more smoothly after it’s almost disastrous beginnings. Neither her nor Yang are drinking heavily enough to get into the singing as some of the more intoxicated patrons of the bar are, but it’s still one of the best nights that she’s had in quite some time. She thinks that Nora is the only one from their table who actually intends on performing, but near the end of the night Yang herself ends up singing.

Based on how rambunctious Yang’s personality is Blake expects her stage presence to be similar, but the Yang she sees on stage is one that is very composed, singing a song that she claims to have chosen due to the title (“It has the same name as my bike Blake, it must be a sign!”) but one she clearly knows well. She captivates Blake with her soft, melodic voice, and based on the reactions of the rest of the crowd Blake knows she’s not the only one who’s enraptured. Yang looks directly at her from time to time but thankfully doesn’t make Blake her sole target; considering the song’s lyrics referencing a “garden of ecstasy” she’s not sure how she would have felt with purple eyes smoldering on her the entire time. But honestly, even if she had, Blake probably wouldn’t have complained.

As Blake sits there and watches Yang sing, she starts to fall just a little bit harder for her unpredictable neighbor. She knows that she’s still not ready just yet, and that there are some truths that need to be told in order to build anything concrete, but at the same time Blake is beginning to get a real sense of hope about the whole thing. If it hadn’t been already obvious to Yang that Blake had a crush on her before, Blake knows that she made it clear as daylight tonight. Yang, though, had not only made it through Blake’s little meltdown completely unfazed but had in fact seemed to indicate some shared feelings of her own. (Blake knows she’s not always the best at dealing with romance, but when Yang wants to make something obvious she’s far from subtle.)

And maybe it won’t work. Maybe Blake will never reach the point where she’s comfortable enough to divulge the darker aspects of the past, or maybe Yang will find someone else who is prettier or has less baggage than Blake does and choose her instead. But Blake knows that there is also the possibility that it could work out perfectly for once, and that by playing it slow and steady she may actually find a way to get what she wants. It’s scary, and full of pitfalls and uncertainties, but it also fills her with a sense of hope and determination that makes her feel more alive than she has since everything else fell apart in her life last spring. Blake just has to hold onto that tiny sliver of hope, and the rest will simply work itself out.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yang feels like a big old pine tree, Uncle Qrow comes to visit, and Yang learns that jealousy is really not her strong suit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who's continuing to read this! Last time I wrote far more words than I was expecting (4400), so of course I wrote even more (5500) this time around. I hope you enjoy, and please let me know what you think!

Yang hates pining.

For one thing, she hates the general notion of it. The idea of just sitting around, acting all sorrowful and put out just because the person you’re interested in may not reciprocate the feelings you have towards them (or, as is the case in Yang’s current situation, may have other barriers towards pursuing a relationship) is something that she finds extremely unappealing. Why waste time bemoaning the loss of something that was unattainable from the start when one can put that misplaced energy towards a course of action that might be much more productive instead?

(If Yang was being more honest she might note that this energy is never in fact redirected somewhere else, but it’s the principle of the thing dammit.)

But while Yang may be able to simply think snide thoughts about the conceptual nature of pining, the emotional turmoil that it creates is what really unsettles her. Yang has never been the type of person to ignore what she’s feeling: she’d like to think she has a pretty good grasp of at least some semblance of emotional maturity, though she knows that this is partly due to the realities of having to grow up a bit quicker than life had intended for her. She’s aware of the vast range of emotions that manifest in her head daily, and for the most part is more than capable of controlling the more unsavory ones that pop up from time to time; at the very least, she doesn’t let them interfere too greatly with her usual routine.

When it comes to Blake, though, Yang is very quickly learning that ending (or even just enduring) the pining she has for her dark-haired neighbor may in fact be past her emotional capabilities.

She thought she had been handling it fairly well. Sure, she feels a general sense of longing most of the time she is around Blake, but who wouldn’t? Blake is such a wondrous creature that Yang is still not fully convinced that her brain hadn’t just dreamt up her ideal match one lonely night (though, as cliché as it is to even acknowledge, Yang knows that if this is all a dream she’s in no hurry to wake up any time soon). When it comes down to it, someone as beautiful, as sweet, as just plain _good _as Blake is was always going to turn Yang into a sappy, pining mess of a lesbian, but what really impresses Yang is the amount of quiet strength that Blake possesses.

Although she’s never said much about her past aside from the occasional hint, it’s obvious that Blake’s dealt with some degree of serious trauma. Yang can see the phantom specter of it manifest itself in the occasional glimpse of deep sorrow that appears in her eyes, or in the sudden, twitchy way her body jerks if she is touched unexpectedly. Based on these actions and the little tidbits of background she’s been able to glean so far she gets the hint that Blake may have suffered some form of abuse in the past at the hands of a romantic partner.

Yang also notices that those abrupt reactions seem to happen a little less around her, though she is still careful to make sure she’s as obvious as possible in her intentions when comes to initiating any potential sort of physical contact; even if she wasn’t harboring an intense crush on her neighbor, she’d still act that way simply out of the sense of common decency that she hopes others would have for her if she found herself in a similar situation.

Yang takes all of these factors into account when it comes to dealing with Blake, but the more she gets to know her the more her pining seems to increase at an almost absurdly exponential rate.

The pining starts getting worse the night they go to Coco’s bar. Yang isn’t prepared for the amount of longing that the sight of her leather jacket wrapped loosely around Blake creates, but when it hits her it does so at full force. Blake already looks incredible, in a top that makes Yang’s mouth start to water the moment she lays eyes on it, and when Yang envelops her in the jacket she swears her heart stops. Yang’s had that jacket ever since she first bought Bumblebee (a gift from her uncle Qrow, who had told her that the combination of the bike and the jacket would be a total “chick magnet” (which was kinda gross to hear coming from your uncle, as true as the statement was)) and the sight of Blake in it is almost too much to handle. Although she’s blushing profusely Blake looks completely content with the jacket on; if Yang allows her brain to wander too much, she might think that Blake at that moment looks like she’s _hers_ (possessive nature of that thought aside).

Just the sight of Blake in the jacket had shown Yang just how thoroughly fucked she is, but what ends up really setting Yang’s heart aflame is the fact that Blake doesn’t take the jacket off during the rest of the night. She’s pretty sure Blake just forgot, though the fact that Blake takes it home and doesn’t return it to her at all makes her thoughts run wild with potential.

Coco had certainly noticed the difference, if the impromptu grilling she had given Blake was anything to go by. Yang’s certainly sorry that Blake ended up feeling so uncomfortable on a night that was meant partly as a way of introducing her to some of Yang’s rowdier friends, but she can’t say that she’s wholly complaining. Seeing Blake’s jealous side appear so quickly had, in a way, recontextualized the way she saw her chances with Blake.

Based on Blake’s reaction, Yang knows now that (to at least some degree) the feelings she has for Blake are likewise reciprocated back, and that if she keeps up a little bit of hope it may actually work out for her. The problem is that this “what if” is a pretty big “if” to work with, and while Yang is more than willing to wait exactly however long Blake needs her to it doesn’t stop her traitorous mind from pining even more than she already had been (which, frankly, was too much to begin with).

Yang knows that this pining is as blatantly obvious as ever when she makes her way back to their apartment after she’s dropped Blake off at her own. When she walks into the apartment she moves out of habit to take off her jacket and hang it up in its usual location, and when she is reminded of the reason that she no longer has it (and is treated to a nice mental image of Blake in the jacket for good measure) she just groans, letting her head rest on the cold surface of the wall. From behind her she hears a familiar giggle, followed by, “Man, you have it baaaad. I told you you were gonna fall in love with her.”

Of course Ruby is here to witness this continuously growing disaster. Yang peers around the corner to make sure Weiss isn’t there as well, and upon seeing that she isn’t replies, “Why does this have to be about Blake? Can’t I be exasperated about normal things? Like, what if I just remembered that I was late on paying some bills, and our power was about to get shut down right about…now.”

Sadly, at least for those who had hoped that their bullshit stalling methods would actually work out due to some strange twist of fate, their power does not shut off when she gets to the word “now”. Ruby gives her a very pointed look. “Yeah, like I’m gonna believe that you let a bill just slide on by like that. You always pay them two weeks in advance.”

And, well, she’s got Yang there. If Yang was living on her own she doesn’t know if she’d be nearly as mature and proactive as she is now (though she’d like to believe she would be), but sharing an apartment with Ruby has brought out all of the qualities of responsibility she’s possessed since childhood out again. (If she’s living by herself and her power gets shut off then whatever, she’ll deal with that later, but like hell she’s going to let something like that happen to her baby sister.)

Yang just shakes her head. “Fair enough. But why _did _you immediately jump to Blake as the reason?”

Ruby gives her another look. “You spent a ton of time trying to look nice before you left, you were gone for nearly four hours, and you’re not wearing your jacket that you left with. Plus, you talk about her basically all the time. It wasn’t too hard to guess.”

Yang smiles at that. “Observant as ever sis, though it pains me to think that I’m as obvious as you make me sound. I gave her my jacket to wear on our way there and she just ended up keeping it the rest of the night. And yes, as we both already know I may have a teensy little crush on her, but that’s it. Definitely none of this falling in love business.”

She thinks this is a good explanation, one that gives a decent summary of the important events of the night while also providing a little insight on her feelings, but Ruby just heaves an overdramatic sigh. “You can keep saying that to yourself but that doesn’t make it any truer than the last time you said it.”

With that she heads off into her bedroom, leaving Yang standing helplessly with her head pressed against the wall next to their coatrack. Yang stands there pathetically for a few moments before shouting at the door, “And I do not talk about her basically all the time!” The lack of response from Ruby that this receives does nothing to make her feel better.

* * *

The next couple of weeks pass by in similar fashion, Yang continuing to spend more time with Blake and as a result pining harder than before and Ruby continuing to watch all of this with a knowing exasperation. And sure, Yang may be falling more and more each time she’s with Blake, but there’s a kind of calm in the familiarity that the two of them have created. A calm that, in retrospect unsurprisingly, is shattered by the appearance of her uncle Qrow.

He shows up mid-morning on a crisp fall Saturday, in town for some sort of convention related to the job he has that Yang knows virtually nothing about.

(He’s always kinda cagey when she asks, and the most she’s gotten him to tell her is that it’s something related to the military. Based on the fact that she knows that her dad knows what the actual job is (and still lets Qrow live at their house from time to time and interact with his nieces) she figures it can’t be too bad.)

Always the charmer, he enters their apartment with a greeting of, “I’m lost, can you tell me where to find the Xiao Long and Rose apartment” which is muffled as a result of Ruby flinging herself towards him and hugging him fiercely.

“Uncle Qrow!” she shouts happily, grabbing onto his arm and hanging off it like a fruit on a vine. “Did you miss me?”

Qrow smirks at her, eyes gleaming devilishly as he tells her, “Nah” before giving her a pat on the head and hugging her back. “How are my two favorite nieces in the world doing today?” he asks, directing the question at Yang as she makes her way towards him.

“I’m pretty sure we’re your only two nieces in the world,” Yang tells him, before pulling him in for a hug that Ruby very quickly uses as an opportunity to turn into a group hug. Technically he’s only Yang’s biological uncle, since he’s the brother of Yang’s mom, but even though she left he stuck around, and she knows that he loves Ruby just as much as he loves her.

Qrow just smirks harder at this. “That’s why you’re my favorites. Now c’mon, let’s go out and get some ice cream or something.”

Yang’s not exactly sure that she wants to know what “or something” entails with Qrow (though she’s sure that drinking is probably involved), but her and Ruby both perk up at the mention of ice cream and they all head out of the apartment with the objective of acquiring some as soon as possible.

That simple desire, Yang reflects later, is probably what caused everything to go wrong so quickly. It shouldn’t have been a difficult task to get ice cream, but she had forgotten one very important fact: that her uncle has quite possibly the worst bad luck in the history of all personkind. She knows that sounds like an exaggeration but it’s completely true. Sometimes it manifests itself in life-altering ways, and she knows that that’s part of the reason he drinks so much, but other times it appears in more innocuous ways; ways that, while still bad luck when you look at it closely, might not seem as much so at the time.

The bad luck starts when their group immediately runs into Blake and Weiss leaving their apartment at the same time. As always Yang freezes at the sight of Blake, who gives her a bashful smile and a wave that Yang quickly returns. She sees Weiss roll her eyes at this, which is followed by a hushed murmur to someone behind her who is not currently in Yang’s field of vision.

When this stranger comes into view Yang can immediately tell that she is related to Weiss: Weiss had told her before that the Schnee’s had strong genetics, and the woman she sees before her is almost the spitting image of Weiss (but taller and with a different hairstyle). Yang’s getting ready to introduce herself to this person (who based on context she’s pretty sure is Weiss’ sister Winter) when the stranger points a finger directly in her direction and shouts, “You!” with an immense air of outrage.

Yang is taken aback by this sudden attack and Ruby seems similarly confused. “Me?” Yang asks. “What did I do?”

She feels Qrow put a hand on her shoulder and watches as he steps forward in front of her. “I think the Ice Queen here is talking to me, though I’m more impressed she’s not turned into a puddle of water yet. Season’s not right, you know?”

Weiss, who had before maintained a similar look of confusion as her and Ruby, now has a look come to her face of pure and righteous indignation. “How dare you talk to her that way? Do you even know who you’re talking to? Winter Schnee is-”

Winter puts a hand in front of her before she can finish that sentence. “Enough Weiss. I don’t need you involved in this matter, especially when it involves the likes of _him_.” The tone she uses for that final word is laced with a high degree of venom, and Yang is completely dumbfound as to what her uncle could have done to make Weiss’ sister hate him so badly.

Whatever he had done in the past, Qrow apparently decides (or had already decided) to double down. “Oh my apologies your majesty. If I’d known that you would deign to visit such lowly abodes as these I would have called ahead first. It’s not every day you see a Schnee slumming it with the commoners.”

Yang can tell immediately that this is the wrong thing for him to say, can tell that his words have clearly touched a nerve when she sees the beginnings of a vein start to appear on Winter’s forehead. She knows from talking to Weiss that there is a great deal of honor involved with the Schnee name (even for Weiss, whose own father thinks she doesn’t deserve it) and she can feel the rage emanating from Winter just by her glare. “I will not take the time to stand here and listen to you disparage my family name, Qrow. Go about your business and move along.”

As Yang expects, Qrow does no such thing. “Now why would I do that when you’re just so easy to rile up? It’s rough when you don’t have Big Bad Ironwood here to watch your back, isn’t it?”

One of the few things that Yang actually does know about Qrow’s job is that the Ironwood he mentions is his boss, and based on Winter’s reaction that name clearly means something to her as well. With a flash of speed so quick that it looks like a blur to Yang’s eyes Winter moves forward and, with an almost graceful sort of elegance, punches Qrow straight in the mouth.

Qrow staggers back as a result of the impact, and when he removes his hand from his face Yang can see that his lip is bleeding, but he seems overall to be delighted with the way things have turned out. “Well look at that,” he says with a sense of wonder. “You can actually throw a punch. Never thought you had it in you.”

This seems to only infuriate Winter more, and it takes the combined effort of Weiss and Blake to prevent her from attacking Qrow again. Yang moves in front of the two of them in a similar effort to create a buffer, and the addition of somebody else into the fray seems to be the trick for finally calming Winter down.

Winter runs a hand through her hair and has a look on her face that speaks to a sense of complete and utter exhaustion (what Yang would also describe as a face that is very tired of Qrow’s bullshit, which as his niece she completely understands) before schooling her expression into something much more passive. “I apologize for my outburst there and for any distress it may have caused.” She notably says this to only her and Ruby, not looking at all in the direction of Qrow.

Ruby is still speechless after how quickly everything had quickly gone to pieces, so Yang answers for the both of them, telling Winter that, “It’s okay, just try not to make a habit of it ha ha,”; her laughs feel as fake and hollow as any she’s had recently, and she honestly just wants this whole strange encounter to end.

She can tell that Winter feels the same way, as she gives Yang a curt nod and then proceeds wordlessly into the parking lot with Weiss quickly on her heels. Blake follows them after giving Yang a quick, “We’ll talk later,” and then it’s just the three of them again.

Qrow gives a chuckle and takes out the flask that he always carries around with him, seeming ready to take a swig before realizing that it’s still only the morning and putting it away (though Yang is sure it’ll be out again in no time at all). “There’s a good life lesson to be had there, you know. Never get on the wrong side of a Schnee if you can. Man, they pack a punch.”

Yang gives him a quizzical stare. “Why did you pick that fight with her in the first place? It seems like you know each other pretty well.”

Ruby finally perks up, eyes wide with imagination. “Ooh, are you two bitter enemies with a strong degree of flirting and sexual tension between you? It might explain all of the fighting.”

This causes Qrow to give a heartier laugh than before. “I don’t know about any sort of sexual tension, but you hit the nail on the head with the “enemies” part. We went to school together and work in the same field, and you could say that there’s some bad blood still there. But enough about that ancient feud. Let’s go get some ice cream.”

This gets Yang to leave the topic at hand for another day, though she does head over to Weiss’ later on to apologize for her uncle’s behavior. Weiss takes it all in good stride: apparently Winter had been more forthcoming on revealing the interactions of the two in the past, and it sounds like their scuffle today was simply par for the course on they usually act. But it also gives her an excuse to spend more time with Blake than she had been intending that morning, so Yang supposes that for once her uncle’s luck may not have been all that bad after all.

* * *

Yang soon learns that there is in fact something that can be emotionally worse than pining: the awful green-eyed monster that is jealousy. She’s never been the jealous type, never felt the pining turn into something bitterer, but she gets her first real taste of the feeling when Blake and Weiss invite her and Ruby over for a party at their apartment.

In all honesty, “party” isn’t probably the best term for what they’re holding. It’s really more of a casual get-together, thrown in honor of the fact that some of Blake’s friends are visiting and used as a chance for Blake to introduce this friend group to the one she’s made recently (Yang, Ruby, and the lovely folk of Team JNPR). But there is also alcohol involved, so Yang thinks that alone gives it the potential for chaos that truly makes something a party.

(Not that Yang plans on drinking much. She’ll always have a drink or two when she goes out, but she also likes to keep her wits about her, especially when she’s in the same room as her sister. Plus, one of the not so nice life lessons she’s learned from Qrow is the debilitating effects that alcohol can have on a person, one of the simple joys of having an alcoholic for an uncle.)

Meeting Blake’s friends isn’t too difficult, at least at first. Sun and Neptune, who like Blake and Weiss were paired up as roommates way back in freshman year, make an odd pair: Sun with his cocky attitude and wide open shirt (in the middle of the fall, Yang thinks sardonically to herself) and Neptune with his strange sense of style that culminates in his wearing swimmer goggles on the top of his head the entire night.

(Sun mentions to her later on that the goggles are purely for show and that Neptune is actually afraid of water, and the general absurdity of the whole thing sends Yang into an unexpected fit of giggles.)

Ilia is harder to get a read on. She’s fairly silent early on, mostly talking to Blake in hushed whispers and acting content to just stare at people throughout the room, but every so often Yang catches her staring right in her general direction with an almost pointed look. This strange moment quickly evaporates when Blake sidles over to Ilia and whispers something in her ear, which causes her to break into laughter and makes Yang’s stomach clench with something she’s not fully ready to acknowledge yet.

(It’s jealousy, oh so obviously jealousy, and she hates that it springs up so easily inside of her.)

And sure, Yang may be a little jealous of the closeness that these three have with Blake, but she can’t find it inside of her to dislike them for it. Just their presence brings out a side of Blake that is stunning, showcasing all of the best qualities she has while not being weighed down by the usual memories that always seem to haunt her. She’s carefree, laughing at Sun’s stupid jokes and telling them back just as freely, with a light in her eyes that Yang would move the stars for if it meant seeing it every day.

Yang thinks that part of what makes Blake feel so comfortable is the openness that she is allowed to show here. From the moment Yang walks into their apartment she can spot the difference when she sees Blake’s ears astride her head instead of the usual bow that sits there. She doesn’t comment on it, and Blake doesn’t mention it, but the change makes more sense when she first meets Sun and realizes that he too is a Faunus. Later on it’s revealed that Ilia is one as well, when Blake again whispers something in her ear and the spots on her face lights up in a vibrant shade of pink. Blake explains this to her in passing, as if she’s worried that Yang might come to worse conclusions if left to her own devices, but Yang just gives her a supportive smile that seems to quell any of her fears.

So, by this point at least, Yang knows a decent amount about this group of Blake’s friends. She knows that they’re all very different people, which a very wide array of personality traits and quirks, but most importantly she knows that they all care extremely deeply about Blake and would never do anything to hurt her. Yang knows this, and she still can’t help but be jealous.

It builds throughout the night, watching Blake move from friend to friend, discussing past stories and revealing an intimacy built from years of experience. Yang knows that the relationship she has with Blake is unique, and that every friendship is different, but it still doesn’t stop the ache she feels from growing.

It culminates watching Sun talk to Blake, a little too close for Yang’s comfort (and oh god, she’s become that type of person hasn’t she) when she hears a soft voice behind her. “So, it looks like you’ve become the latest member of the “I’m in Love with Blake Belladonna Club.”

Yang startles, and looking behind her sees Ilia standing there, casually sipping her drink while giving Yang the same ultra-inquisitive look she had been earlier. “Who said I was in love with Blake? And wait, there’s a club for that?”

Ilia snorts at that. “Oh yeah, we meet every Thursday and are getting T-shirts made soon. I’m actually the club leader believe it or not.”

Yang just stares blankly at her, and Ilia shakes her head. “No Yang, there is in fact not a club. But it’s still obvious that you’re in love with Blake, so don’t try to bullshit me on this one.”

“But I’m not!” This comes out a tad louder than Yang had been intending and she lowers her voice swiftly so as to ensure that no unsuspecting ears (or extra ears) are listening in. “I mean I like her a lot, don’t get me wrong, but love is a bit hasty don’t you think? We’ve only known each other a couple months.”

“As someone who’s been in the denial stage before as well I feel your pain, but trust me, once you fully acknowledge it you’ll feel better. I mean, not really, but at least you can finally put a name to what you’re dealing with. That helps a bit.”

Ilia says all of this with a wistful expression on her face, and everything fully clicks for Yang. “So when you said you were team leader of the club…”

“I actually meant it. I’ve known Blake since we were children and I’ve been in love with her for pretty much as long as I can remember.”

“Wow.” Yang stops for a second, lost in thought, then asks her, “How do you deal with it, after all these years?”

Ilia just shakes her head. “I wouldn’t really call it “dealing with it” honestly. It sucks for sure, but since the alternative is no Blake at all I’d say that such a fate is far worse. Wouldn’t you agree?”

And Yang doesn’t even have to think before she answers. “I would. I’ve only known her a short period of time but already I can’t imagine my life without her.”

“Well that’s good to hear. It lets me know that you’ll take good care of her when we’re all gone again.”

Yang thinks that this is the end of the conversation, and as illuminating as it all was she’s at this point ready to just return to their apartment so she can try to put this whole mess of a night behind her. But Ilia grabs her hand and stops her before she can leave.

“Just to be clear, you may be the only member of the club who actually has a shot at this whole think working out, so be careful with what you do.”

Yang grasps the point of what she’s going very almost too quickly, and it is with a suddenly dry throat that she responds, “You, uh, you think so?”

Ilia just gives her a sly grin. “Well of course. I wouldn’t have told you as much as I did if I thought you didn’t stand a chance at all.” And with that she simply walks away, heading off in the direction that Yang had last seen Blake in.

With that parting note the events of the night as a whole hit Yang clearly, and she is finally able to confront the jealousy she’s been dealing with head-on. To be honest, she realizes that she’s been worrying about ridiculous things the entire time. Being jealous of the closeness Blake shares with people she’s known much longer than Yang may be at least somewhat understandable, but it doesn’t mean Yang is going to be left behind by her. On the contrary, even with all the time she’s been spending with her friends Blake has still worked hard the entire night to make sure that Yang is included throughout, directing conversations to topics she knows Yang excels in if she’s been speechless for too long and providing a useful filter for all of the random references Sun makes throughout the night.

And, looking at the real problem directly, she knows that the romantic jealousy she is feeling is completely irrational. Blake has made it clear that, for at least the current moment, she is not interested in dating anyone, so getting worked up over the fear that she might choose someone else is a complete waste of time.

But more importantly, Yang knows that even if Blake _does _choose someone else she’s not going to let it ruin the closeness they have developed over the past few months. She cares about Blake far too deeply (even as her mind is ignoring the “L-word” that Ilia had been throwing out so casually as if it meant nothing at all) to lose what has become a critical friendship in her life, and the reality is that just having a little of Blake’s attention and affection is still better than having none at all.

Going forward, she decides that she’s going to be more honest about what she’s dealing with; maybe not fully, since she doesn’t think she is there just yet, but at least more open with others on how she feels.

Yang tells as much to Ruby, who is sitting on one of Blake and Weiss’ couches with the aforementioned Weiss lying passed out on her lap. Blake had warned her that Weiss was a bit of a lightweight, but Yang was not prepared for how quickly Weiss went from sober to tipsy to passing out levels of drunk in the span of roughly an hour. Yang sits down beside Ruby, nudging Weiss a few times to make sure that she is in fact still asleep, and then tells her, “You were right. My feelings for Blake are stronger than just a crush.”

Ruby literally squees with delight. “You’re saying you love her?!?”

“Hey keep it down, are you trying to rat me out?”

“Oh sorry…but you didn’t answer the question!”

Yang sighs in frustration. “I’m not that far gone, or at least am not ready to say it out loud yet, but I was wrong when I said it was just a small crush. It’s definitely more than that.”

Ruby lays a comforting hand on Yang’s shoulder. “Well who knows? Maybe things will work out in the end for you. You and Blake both deserve that much.”

Yang doesn’t know if that part’s true, at least in regards to her. The fact that Blake deserves the world she knows to be an absolute truth, though to be honest she’s not really sure what she would say she deserves in life. Sometimes it’s hard just to put into words what Yang wants out of life, let alone what she may or may not deserve. But whether or not she deserves it the only thing she wants right now is for Blake to feel the same way about her that she does towards Blake. And as she lays her head on Ruby’s shoulder and catches Blake smiling at her softly from the other side of the room, Yang starts to believe just a little bit more.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake tells Yang the truth about her past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains multiple references to domestic violence, specifically emotional and physical abuse, as well as one reference to blood near the end. I didn't want to add these tags to the fic as a whole since it's only in this one chapter, and even then it's a description by a character instead of the events actually happening, but I am also well aware that this type of content has the potential to be triggering for those who have gone through similar situations so I wanted to make it completely clear as to what it entails. As always thank you for reading.

Blake wants to tell Yang the whole truth about her past.

This is the thought that is most prominent in her head as the breezes of fall gradually turn into the chills of winter, the trees outside her apartment becoming completely barren of leaves and the sky on most days turning into a bleak shade of gray that still somehow conveys a morbid sense of beauty. Blake wonders if these elements are furthering her desire to do so, if she would be so forthcoming about it had the season been different, but in the end she realizes that she would have wanted to tell Yang no matter the time of year.

Ever since the day they met (a day, Blake notes, that is as far from present day both in terms of weather and tone) Blake has been enraptured by Yang. It’s not hard to see why, at least initially: Yang shines as bright as a burning sun, not only through the blaze of her appearance but through the effervescent personality that is attached to the blonde. Such a person is not the type Blake would normally go for on a day such as that summer day had been, when Blake was still feeling broken and overly cautious, afraid to even entertain the idea of developing feelings for someone new. Considering this, the fact that Blake had allowed Yang to get as close to her as she had was nothing short of extraordinary.

And that’s the perfect way to describe Yang, isn’t it? _Extraordinary_.

There’s simply no other way to put it. Yang carries such a degree of joy within her that she freely allows to emanate to those around her that at first glance would make it seem as if she’s the happiest person in the room at all times.

But Blake remembers talking in Yang’s apartment, remembers seeing the sorrow in Yang’s eyes as she brought forth her own “baggage” to reflect Blake’s own, and she knows that Yang is not nearly as simple as she seems. Yang has known true loss, loss that could have turned her bitter and caused her to retreat into herself until only a hollow shell of what she once was remained. Blake knows the realities of this all too well; after all, she’d been there herself only less than a year ago.

Yet even with all of the loss and pain in her life Yang continues to thrive. She dotes on her sister, seems to have a strong family support network from what Blake has gleaned, and has a group of dedicated friends who would all go to war for her if they felt it needed to be done.

(Blake won’t lie, she kind of wants to see what sort of damage Nora could do if she were handed military-grade weapons. She’s sure it would be absolutely devastating.)

Since that momentous day they first met Yang has been nothing but exceptionally kind towards Blake, respecting her boundaries and privacy even though it was obvious from the beginning that she may have been interested in more, accepting the fact that she was a Faunus without even a second thought, and making an effort to include her in a life that Blake honestly felt she had no right to intrude in.

She knows Yang would probably try to brush any compliments such as these off if Blake brought them up, trying to change the topic to something more neutral, or even just making a pun and hoping that Blake’s ensuing groan is enough to distract her. Yang has bad puns in abundance at her disposal, and if it wasn’t for the light that shone in her eyes every time she made one Blake might hate them just a little bit more. But puns aside, Blake wants more than anything else for Yang to understand just how much good she’s brought into Blake’s life during the relatively short period of time they’ve known each other. And to properly illustrate this, Blake knows she needs to tell Yang about Adam.

Talking about Adam has, unsurprisingly, been a fairly difficult thing for Blake to do, even with those close to her. Aside with her therapist, Weiss and Ilia know the most, mostly due to the fact that one way or another they had been present for the worst moments during the end of the relationship. Her parents know most of the story, though Blake had glossed over some of the worst parts both to spare them the knowledge and to ensure that they didn’t try harder to keep her in Menagerie instead of letting her return to Beacon in the fall. In general Blake has generally been quiet about her experience, in part due to the very basic desire to avoid having to relive it in every subsequent telling.

But Blake wants to tell Yang. She wants to open herself up like she hasn’t since Adam, wants to reveal the flaws and insecurities that still persist and hand them willingly over to Yang to do with as she pleases. Though Yang’s never pushed since Weiss went too far months ago and tried to ask Blake out for her, she’s still intimated multiple times that she’s interested in Blake that way, and Blake knows that if she does this she’s inching them just a little closer to the precipice of the _something _they keep dancing around. And more than anything else, Blake just wants to _fall_.

So that’s how Blake ends up here, in front of Yang’s apartment door, body thrumming with a sort of nervous anticipation that is as electrifying as it is nauseating. She knows that she is full control here, and that if she decides not to speak today she can do so any time in the near future whenever she is finally ready. It’s her choice, plain and simple.

Blake takes a deep, determined breath and knocks three times on the door in quick succession.

She hears a muffled sound from indoors that she’s pretty sure is someone saying “one minute please!” followed by some shuffling noises and then a very loud crash. A second later Yang opens the door, dressed in an overly large pajama shirt and with a toothbrush sticking sideways out of her mouth. Behind her Blake can see what she assumes is the cause of the crash: a wooden chair tilted at an awkward angle that (considering the book placed underneath one of the legs) is not as secure as it looks. Yang’s eyes widen in surprise, though the surprise is very quickly overtaken by a pleased smile.

“Blake! What brings you to these parts of town so late at night? Don’t you know it’s not safe for a young lady such as yourself to be wandering around all on your lonesome like that?

Blake rolls her eyes. “Yes, it was such a treacherous walk over here. It _is _the most dangerous stretch of 20 feet in the city. I’m honestly impressed I made it as far as I did.”

Yang grins widely, Blake’s sarcasm clearly egging her on even further. “Well just to be sure you should probably come in here then. We can’t risk your safety so brazenly now can we?”

Smooth, Blake thinks. Of course, she was planning on coming into Yang’s apartment anyway, since that’s the whole point she came over for, but still. Smooth.

She follows Yang into the apartment, and she can quickly see that the wobbly chair is directly under what appears to be a burnt out lightbulb. Considering the state Yang answered the door in, she can’t help but ask, “Were you really changing a lightbulb while brushing your teeth?”

“Well of course! The bulb went out right as I started brushing, and as you can tell I’m very efficient at multi-tasking.”

Blake can’t really tell if the situation screams “efficient”, or even “competent” for that matter, but she cares for Yang too much to really get into it, and she just gives her a nod. This seems to placate Yang, who makes a quick trip to her room to put her toothbrush down before returning and sitting on the couch, grabbing a blanket and making room for Blake to sit down next to her.

“So all jokes aside, what’s up? It _is_ kinda late for you to just drop by on a school night.”

And oh right, Blake has classes tomorrow. In her determined haze she had completely blanked on that mildly important fact. She tries to quickly recall how early in the morning she’ll need to get up for her first class if she doesn’t want to be late, but she realizes just as quickly that she doesn’t really care. Right now, all that matters is talking to Yang; everything else is secondary.

(Blake resolves then and there not to mention this aspect of her “talk-now” mentality to Weiss when she’s telling her about this. Weiss may be much less uptight than she was when they first met a few years back but Blake knows she’ll still give her one hell of a lecture about punctuality, served with a healthy dose of disappointed mom-face. Blake gets enough of that from her own mother as it is, she doesn’t need more anytime soon.)

“I’m sorry if I interrupted anything important. I know how late it is.”

Yang gives her a blinding grin. “Don’t worry about it! I’m always here to listen if you need to talk!”

And there’s Blake’s chance. “That’s why I came over, actually. Do you remember the first time you came over to my apartment back in the summer?”

“You mean when Weiss tried to not so subtly ask me out for you? I don’t know if I could ever forget something like that.”

“Right. And do you remember what I said about baggage after that?”

Recognition dawns in Yang’s eyes. “You said that you weren’t comfortable talking about it, and since you used the word “trauma” it seems like whatever you went through was pretty intense.”

Blake nods. “That’s kind of an understatement, but yeah, it was pretty rough. That’s why I came here though. I want to give you the full story about what happened.”

Yang immediately puts her hand on top of Blake’s. “You don’t have to do that for my sake, you know? If it’s something that you’re not comfortable talking about then there’s no shame in keeping it to yourself. I would never judge you for that.”

It’s obvious how sincere Yang’s statement is, and Blake’s fondness for her neighbor continues to grow. “I know that, and it’s part of why I want to tell you anyway.”

“Ok, but seriously, if anything is too difficult to say please don’t hurt yourself further just for my sake.” Yang gives Blake’s hand a tight squeeze, interlocking her fingers with Blake’s so they remain connected, and Blake uses this comfort to finally start her story.

“I told you before that the last relationship I was in ended badly, and that’s why I wasn’t interested in dating at the moment, but to be honest it was pretty much the only real relationship I’ve ever been in.”

“Really? I honestly find that hard to believe.” When Blake tilts her head curiously at Yang’s reaction, the blonde flushes. “What, you’re a total catch! I figured you’d have people lined up for miles interested in you.” Blake feels her cheeks heat up at this overt praise, and rather than respond to it she fakes a cough and continues talking as if the interruption hadn’t occurred at all.

“His name was Adam. I knew him from home, back in Menagerie, and like me he was a Faunus. He was a few years older than me, so we never really interacted that much when I was younger, but he always had this air of mystery that was so intriguing to me. I think it was the romantic side of me that was so enraptured by him, you know? The part of me that was just waiting for some dashing, valiant hero to come swoop me away and change my life forever.”

“When did you starting dating him?”

“During my second year at Beacon. Even before I left Menagerie he had become active in the White Fang, and as they continued to grow he apparently was vocal in spreading their cause to places like Beacon. He justified it as having great potential to gather new recruits into their ranks, but I think he may have pushed for it to be closer to me as well.”

The mention of the group seems to jog a memory in Yang. “Wait, the White Fang? I think I recognize the name. They’re that pro-Faunus civil rights group, right? I remember hearing about them in the news a few times recently.”

Blake gives a sad smile. “Yeah, they’ve gotten a lot of bad press in the last few years. At their core they had the right ideas, fighting for more equality and less discrimination for a group of people whose sole character flaw was being born different than the dominant race. I was actually a member of it before I came to Beacon, which is how I got to know Adam so well in the first place.”

“So you started dating him when he first started working near Beacon?”

“It didn’t start that quickly, though it almost felt like it. I got re-involved with the White Fang and we ended up spending a lot more time together. The age difference wasn’t as obvious as it was before, and when he showed interest in me that way I leapt at the chance. For a while it was actually pretty nice.”

And even with how awful the ending of their relationship had been, Blake’s telling the truth. Those first few months they had been together were, while not what one might describe as “magical”, still some of the best months of Blake’s life. Part of her brain tells her that this contrast might seem inflated due to just how bad the last few months were, but Adam had been a different person then. He was still callous and prickly, always ready to start a fight if he was perturbed even slightly, but there was a warmth and tenderness there during those few months that made the sudden change so jarring. Whether that was the real Adam or simply a façade is something she’ll never know, but she can’t deny that during those few months she was legitimately happy.

Yang can clearly perceive the wistful tone in her voice as Blake describes this, and she squeezes her hand again, gently caressing the top of Blake’s with her thumb. Her tone is soft as she asks, “What happened to change it?”

“Adam began to change. He had always been hotheaded, which was just a part of his fiery nature, but as time went on he began to pick more and more fights with anti-Faunus types. He’d always end up hurt, and I’d tend to his cuts and bruises when he would let me, but towards those who he was fighting he was absolutely brutal. I was scared he was going to kill somebody.”

For all Blake knows he may have done so already. Although the chapter of the White Fang back in Menagerie had its share of flaws, it was nothing compared to the corruption that Adam had brought to Beacon once he came to power. Blake shudders at the thought of what other skeletons might exist in his closet, and then reminds herself that as much as his taunts remain in her memories none of this was her fault.

“He eventually became the leader of Beacon’s chapter of the White Fang, which instead of dimming his anger only seemed to increase it. I don’t know if that anger was always there, or if was brought out by stress and the realities of life, but I urged him to find a way to work past it so he could return to the Adam I thought I loved. And then…”

Blake falls silent, the words bubbling at the tip of her tongue denied exit by the sudden pressure that’s built in her chest. Yang notices this and turns so that their faces are directly in front of each other. “Hey, if you can’t finish this it’s more than okay. I think I get the general picture anyway.”

Once again Yang is giving her an out, and although Blake appreciates the gesture she knows she needs to finish the story. She shakes her head slowly. “No, you need to know the rest of it. The general picture may seem grim from what I’ve said, but it is nothing compared to what happened from the first time he hit me.”

Throughout the conversation Blake had been comforted by the feel of Yang’s hand in hers, acting as an anchor to keep her tethered to reality as she replays the worst moments of her life. But at this admission Yang’s hand suddenly goes slack, and when Blake turns to look at her she can see the blonde shaking with an almost righteous anger. Yang’s eyes, normally a beautiful shade of lilac, look to be almost crimson with fury, and it takes Blake grabbing her hand back to return her to anything resembling a semblance of calm.

Yang is still shaking slightly, though it seems now like the movements are coming from an origin of sadness rather than anger. “I had kind of put it together that you had went through something like that before, just based on what you’d said and some body movements, but actually hearing it described? It’s just…how could anyone do something like that to you?”

Blake has to take a shuddering breath before she can continue. “It’s the same thing I asked myself after he did it that first time. After every other time too. He apologized a day later, tried to tell me that it was just due to the stress he was under and that he’d never do it again, but the more he hit me the more he started to blame it on me.”

She’s staring ahead blankly into space now, not able to look Yang directly in the eyes while describing his actions, but she can hear clear as day the gasp beside her. “He did not! That weaselly little fuck!”

“Oh he did. He told me that I was the one causing him stress, though he had different reasons on different days. Some days it was because I wanted him to leave the White Fang or move to a lower position that might cause him less stress, other days it was because he felt I wasn’t invested enough in the movement and he wanted to teach me a lesson. Either way, it always ended the same.”

Yang’s next question is tentative, as if she doesn’t want to make any more skittish than she already is. “If you don’t mind me asking, how long did this go one for?”

“About a month and a half, I think. I’d been doing a decent job at hiding the bruises I had, though I’m pretty sure Weiss was catching on near the end as to what was actually happening. She was always by my side when possible, making up flimsier and flimsier excuses as to why she had to be in the same room as Adam and I whenever possible. But in the end, that didn’t even matter. He completely lost his cool one day over nothing, just a minor argument about something procedural in the White Fang, and when he moved to hit me he completely forgot that Weiss was in the room as well. Even if she hadn’t been there she still would have noticed the result, since it was the first and only time that he hit me in the face.”

“And that’s when you left him?”

Blake nods, “It is. That punch was the last straw for me; I no longer saw the man I had once thought I was in love with, and saw clearly before me the person he had become. I told him plainly and clearly that whatever we had was finished, and Weiss and I then booked it as fast as possible to our apartment to get away. Fortunately this was right before Spring Break, so we just had to stay there for a few days and then we were right back home.”

The hand on hers gives her another squeeze, and the anger in Yang’s voice actually invigorates Blake in a way she hadn’t been expecting. “Well he’s lucky he hasn’t come across me just yet. I keep a baseball bat underneath my bed just in case, and right now all I can think about is connecting it with his stupid skull.”

Blake laughs mirthlessly. “I appreciative the initiative but sadly that’s no really possible at the moment. This story’s not fully over just yet.”

A look of dawning horror appears on Yang as the realization hits her. “Oh no,” she weakly supplies.

“When I went home for Spring Break I wasn’t actually at my own home. My parents hadn’t been too fond of Adam in the first place, since they thought he was a bad influence on me; of course in hindsight they were actually 100 percent correct, but I took this as a personal affront to what I was trying to convince myself was this incredible love story. I knew I wouldn’t be able to face them after everything that just happened, so I stayed with Ilia instead.”

“The first night I was there we heard a crashing sound come from another room. Ilia’s parents were both gone at the time so it was only the two of us there, and Ilia went to investigate the noise while I stayed in the bedroom. It was at this point that Adam shattered the window that happened to be next to me and climbed into the room with a knife.”

Yang’s face is pure horror. “He knew where you were?”

“I guess he had followed me on my way back, or had heard someone else mention it. It was even more convenient of a place for him to break into, since Ilia’s bedroom is on the ground floor while mine at my parent’s is on the second.”

Blake has to pause for a moment to gather her emotions, knowing that the last part of the story will also be the hardest to tell. “He told me all sorts of terrible things that night. He pinpointed all my insecurities, all the little fears and flaws that I had made him privy to while we were together, and he listed them to me one by one as if I was some sort of monster. I suppose by that point I was one in his eyes.”

A hand is put on Blake’s shoulder, and Blake sees in Yang’s eyes a look of vehement determination. “You are not a monster, let me make that one thing crystal clear.”

Tears start to prickle in Blake’s eyes, and she chokes back a sob. “I know that now, but at the time I felt so wretched and weak. All he did was mock me, telling me how awful I was and then…and then stabbing me in the side so as to make the emotional pain much more tangible.”

As if on cue she feels a sort of phantom pain in the spot where her scar lies, and she reflexively puts a hand as if to stifle it. Out of the corner of her eye she can see Yang start to move, and when she touches Blake’s side a pulsating current of electricity wracks its way throughout her body.

Blake trembles weakly. “He told me he was going to kill me. He said I’d used up all of his gracefulness, and that what I was about to receive was just what I deserved.”

“But he didn’t kill you,” Yang whispers softly. “You’re still here.”

Blake nods. “Ilia had heard Adam’s voice from the room, and by that point I had already told her the full story of what had happened back at Beacon. She called the police as soon as she put together what was going on, and thankfully there were some close enough to show up in time. They made their way into the room as he was getting ready to go for the kill and shot him dead in seconds.”

Finishing the story is enough to finally remove all the emotional barriers she had tried to set up beforehand, and Blake is sobbing helplessly in moments. She quickly feels herself engulfed by a sudden mass of warmness, and she realizes that Yang has put her arms around her and embraced her completely. As Blake looks up at her she realizes that Yang’s eyes are full of tears as well, and it is this realization that leads her to press their foreheads together.

“Hey,” Yang whispers to her, teardrops running their way down her cheeks.

“Hey,” Blake whispers back.

“I always thought it was amazing how much of a fighter you are considering what you’ve endured, but I had no idea how much you have truly dealt with. You’re simply incredible Blake Belladonna.”

It is the sincerity in Yang’s voice that really brings the whole thing home, and Blake erupts in a second slew of tears that finally subside only after a couple of wet, snotty minutes. “I told you it was complicated,” she sniffles.

Yang brings forth a strangled sort of laugh. “And here I was worried about scaring you away with all of my own baggage. I might as well spill everything right now the way this is all going.”

She does want to learn more about Yang’s past, wants to know every major and insignificant thing about her, but she also knows that one trauma-filled story is enough for a night. Blake can see that Yang is aware of this as well, as the blonde smiles immediately after saying it. “Yeah, I know it’s a bit too soon for that since you already spilled your guts tonight. Can’t have too much sadness in one sitting now can we?”

Blake readies a response to this, but the only thing that comes out of her mouth when she opens it is a giant yawn. She knows she should probably head back to her room, but Yang is just so comfortable to lay on, and she lies back and rests her head on Yang’s shoulder instead. Yang doesn’t say anything about this intrusion, but weaves her hands through Blake’s scalp, rubbing gentle circles that find Blake falling into a deep sleep quicker than she has in months. She doesn’t dream of Adam that night, doesn’t see fists flying towards her or a knife turned red from her own blood. All she remembers seeing is blonde hair and a warm smile.


End file.
